Spirits Like White Lightning
by Miles Edgeworth
Summary: Next Gen. Kuzon, Prince of the Fire Nation, begins a journey to find the Avatar fifty years after the War has ended. However, he is about to be thrust into an adventure across the world to save the old heroes from a new enemy, Yata-Garasu.
1. Gathering Clouds

_**Spirits Like White Lightning**_

_By Iain R. Lewis_

_Preface: This is a Next-Generation story with a little twist. Instead of focusing on the kids of the group, this focuses on the kids of the kids, and their trials and tribulations dealing with the aftermath of the series and the actions of their grandparents. This is also an experiment in first-person narration, which is something I've never focused on doing so much before, so I hope you'll bear with it._

_The title is named after a Warcraft story I read on this site, the name stuck with me. The chapter title is named after one of the Imperial Regalia of Japan, which may or may not even _exist_, and if it does, it may not even, you know, be in Japan's possession__._

**Chapter 1: **_Gathering Clouds_

When the seasons change and the wind turns through the old winding way in the old garden where my father's fathers all once stood, I sometimes feel that old familiar ache and I smile and sit for just a moment to recollect.

I've been lucky, I've known a family who loved me, a home I could always call my own, and friendships that last through the many changing seasons. This time of peace, and me in a position to know how truly fragile this time is appreciates this even more, will be kind to the generations that follow mine.

But, in all of this certainty, there remains moments that seem ephemeral and delicate, far more than any other. Even those years back, and me in the brashness and wisdom of my full sixteen years, realized how absolutely precious those days were, and I never once let my memory subside and fade. I've made it a clear point to remember the scars and the pain just as clearly as the joy and happiness.

The joy and happiness that haven't left me once since.

I turn to watch the clouds gathering in the sky, a storm will soon be upon us and another rainy season will set in. It was a day not unlike this that I first left my pampered home and set out on the path that would lead me to this place today. However, that is not where this story truly begins.

It began on a night unlike this, where the brisk cold winds of the mountains sent a cold shiver down a small girl's spine as she called for her grandfather.

Age was beginning to catch up with the old man, his joints creaked and he was not quite as quick with his mind as he used to be, all things the man took in great stride. With a laugh, he called back to his granddaughter and leapt fifteen feet in the air to land delicately and spritely in front of her. "It's getting late, isn't it?" the old man said, "And it's time for a certain someone's bed, isn't it?"

The small girl nodded, "Will you tell me a story tonight, grampa?"

"Certainly," the old man laughed, "Whatever kind of story do you want, Ananya? Perhaps how I faced the ravaging hordes of the cruel Admiral Zhao among the glaciers of the North, or the time I braved the fierce wilds of the Spirit World to come face to face to face with Koh, the Face Stealer?"

The girl shook her head, "No."

"Well, what story do you want to hear?"

"Gran Gran told me you once nearly got eaten by a giant fish," Ananya said. "Tell me 'bout that one please?"

The old man grew more weathered at the mention of Ananya's Gran Gran. He never once mentioned her to Ananya, excepting the first time he'd met her. She was grown a full year since that day, but she still clung to the hope that he'd reveal more about her beloved Gran Gran every day, while every day the old man grew more reluctant to share the story.

"I have a better story than that," he said, quietly, weakly. "Make yourself up for bed and I'll meet you there."

Ananya hid her disappointment well, but every time he dodged around the issue, it wore down at her and remained a wedge between the two. The lonesome Air Temples made low whistles as the wind breezed through their ancient halls.

One, too old, unable to face his past, and one, too young to comprehend the weight of regret, both felt more lonely for each other's company, one a stranger to his own flesh and blood, the other a reminder of the past.

She pulled herself beneath the blankets and her grandfather sat besides her, looking tired but hoping that tonight, for once, he could put old ghosts to rest. "Do you remember the raven-crows we see sometimes when we glide below the temple?"

Ananya nodded, eagerly, "What about them?"

"They say that they're a very special bird," he said, "One amongst them is most special, however. He is the messenger from heaven, he sends with him the wishes of the spirits and helps guide us down the right path in life."

"Have you ever met one, grampa?" the girl asked, "Are they special, like, how big are they? I bet they're huge! WIth, with three sets of wings! And a lizard tail!"

He laughed, "No, nothing quite so extravagant. The one thing especially different about this one bird is that it has three legs."

"Three legs?" Ananya looked disappointed. "That's boring!"

"Maybe," the old man chortled, "Maybe if I had my way it would have a lizard tail too. But we don't get to decide, do we?"

"I guess not."

"To answer your other question," he said, "Yes, a long time ago. Once, I was told I had to do something."

"Yes, what kind of something?"

"Something -- no, I'm terribly sorry, this isn't a story I feel is appropriate for little girls." He kissed her on the forehead, "I'll think of something else."

Ananya yawned, "But I wanna know what the bird told you," she protested sleepily.

"Someday," he promised, "Someday, maybe you will be ready to hear it, and I will, may the spirits help me, be ready to tell it."

"Grampa."

"Yes, Ananya?"

"I love you," she said, "Even if you're weird."

Aang chuckled, "I love you, Ananya, you are my everything."

The candles blew out in a dying breeze and the years, as they do, passed and the seasons danced the old cycle. Then, the autumn turned to winter, turned to spring and then to summer, many years past.

* * *

A young man and a young girl meet for the first time since they were children in the gardens of the Fire Nation's palace. Myself, a young fool at the time, and the girl, my best friend's sister who I would often begrudgingly entertain in games of house and tea ceremony, now a beautiful young woman.

I saw her and I was stricken from the very moment she walked into the garden. Still, I can remember the way the sun made her jet black hair shimmer, the way her eyes were warm enough to melt your heart from a thousand paces. Everything about her was perfect, she was the absolute image of the Fire Nation beauty.

Being that I was sixteen at the time and being that she was beautiful, I could only manage to grunt and nod at her when she approached. "Kuzon, it's a pleasure to meet you again. It's been so long."

"We've met?" I asked, momentarily forgetting she existed prior to this moment of absolute brilliance. "Oh, Daisuke's sister, Nadesico, isn't it?" It was a lame response from a boy who was trying too hard to be cool.

"Yes, I'm so glad you remembered me."

And my mind went absolutely blank at that. "You are?" I managed, I think it was a minute after she had first spoken. Ever polite, ever composed, Nadesico did not seem to begrudge my lack of manners and etiquette.

"Yes. When your Lord Father invited me to visit the palace, I was so worried you'd have forgotten how we used to play together."

"How could I forget?"

"I'm glad I made an impression on you," she said, mysteriously. "Your mother told me you have been studying at the Royal Academy these past years?"

The Royal Academy, among a barrage of tutors, and being forced to sit through thousands of aristocratic social events to teach me proper manners in these places, all took up much of my past few years. It was amazing that I managed from the day I turned twelve to find any time to myself. However, as the only grandson of the Fire Lord, I was put into a rather uncomfortable situation.

I was lost contemplating the rather sorry state of my year when she prompted me to respond again, and I nodded bashfully. "It's been busy."

"Yes, I can relate. My studies at the Royal Academy for Girls have taken up much of my time, but Daisuke has kept me abreast of what you two have been up to."

Good old Daisuke, my best friend since I was old enough to have best friends that weren't imaginary, animal, or fruit. Unlike his sister, he never seemed to get past his awkward phase. I hadn't seen him since the semester had ended and I was back in the palace to continue my studies under the aforementioned barrage of tutors. My grandfather, a strict and serious man even in private, had insisted that I keep ahead of my studies.

I did write to him once when I found the time, but I was not aware that any return mail had been sent. However, Nadesico's presence meant that Daisuke wouldn't be far behind, and if I hadn't been preoccupied with my eyes suddenly being prompted to discover further aspects of her beauty by the word 'abreast,' I wouldn't have been surprised to see him walk in at that moment.

"Kuzon, you old dog!" he laughed, launching his lanky body at me and pulling me into a headlock. My intricately kept haircut found itself undone by Daisuke's furious greeting, and I felt the strands of unruly hair fall over my face. Nadesico seemed to be containing a giggle, which only made me wish I'd intended to give her a chance to laugh.

Instead I focused my anger and hatred upon my best friend, "What was that for?"

"Old time's sake," he grinned. "Oh man, the Academy is finally going to make us graduates next semester. It's going to be fantastic! Desi here just started last year, so she'll be confined in that awful school for another two years."

"It's not awful," Nadesico said, hotly, "And I told you not to give me that silly nickname."

Daisuke looked at her as if she'd grown a second head, I looked just because I wanted an excuse to look at her. "Ignore her," he said, finally, "She's just being a wet blanket. That school's filling her head with all these rules about being a proper lady."

"They're not -- I mean --"

"See, she's speechless already at my impeccable argument," Daisuke said. When he turned away, I gave her a brief apologetic smile. And when she returned that smile with one of her own, I was certain I wasn't standing on the ground at all.

"And if it isn't the old man himself. Prince Roku, remember me?"

My dad, and to this day, I refuse to refer to him as anything other than dad, much to the chancellor's annoyance, gave Daisuke a light and care-free smile and said, "You're that boy who lost his swimsuit that time on Ember Island, right? I remember you better than I want to."

"Hey, no fair," Daisuke said, "I didn't, you -- that never happened!"

Nadesico laughed. "It's so good to see you again, Prince Roku. Are we early?"

"Not at all. We wanted you to arrive first," Dad said, a mysterious grin on his face. My father was, and to this day remains, the man I admire most in my life after my grandfather. Both my Uncle Lu Ten and he had so much riding on their shoulders.

Imagine the expectations set by Fire Lord Zuko, hero of the great war, and the man who lead the Fire Nation into an era of unrivaled prosperity and through whom the world respected the Fire Nation again. They were expected to be honorable beyond honor, regal beyond kingly, and Firebenders of the first order.

My Dad was no expert firebender, not by a long-shot. My Uncle was much more capable at Firebending, but he had his own failings.

"Kuzon, do you mind helping your Uncle with the preparations in the main hall. Your mother and I need to talk to Nadesico with her parents for a moment."

"Oh, sure," I managed to say. I cast a glance at Nadesico, who seemed more radiant than ever. "I guess we'll have to catch up later."

"We will," she said, happily.

"What do you want me to do?" Daisuke asked.

"Come on, idiot," I grumbled in a low voice, "You're helping me, of course."

"You're still angry that I ruined your hair, huh?" he asked, his face plainly confused by my grumbling demeanor. I had already forgotten about that, to be honest, but I nodded to hide the real reason. Daisuke, while dependable and a good friend, had an irritating habit of putting his nose in everyone's business.

I decided if my parents wanted to speak to Nadesico and her parents alone, there was the unspoken provision that Daisuke would not be present in that company. My dad smiled brightly at that, and he seemed to speak to Nadesico in a friendly manner as they left. It left me envious that I couldn't seem to untangle my tongue to even manage a proper greeting.

"So, my sis is back from the Academy special for this big day," Daisuke said. "Man, sixteen. You're a man, now. Finally catching up."

"Just because you were born three months before me, you think that makes you so special," I grumble, remembering the fuss of his celebration. The Lord and Lady Hakamura were from a highly respected noble family who came to prominence with the end of the war.

With the colonies closing and people returning home, there was a political mess, and some people felt that the Fire Lord's first challenge would be the most precarious. The way Daisuke's father tells it, his old man single handedly negotiated the reestablishment of the colonies as a sign of cooperation between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation.

I was more aware that the Avatar himself was the real hero in that situation, but I never said anything to Daisuke about it. The Hakamura boy became my roommate at the Academy and he made it his absolute mission priority to befriend me from the first night we spent together.

"Remember the old dorm?" he asked out of the blue, as if sensing that I was in fact thinking of it, one of his amazingly uncanny talents, "Well, I tracked down everybody from that building and made sure they signed you a card. You know, well-wishing the Prince a happy sixteenth birthday."

"You did?" I was taken aback. Daisuke rarely thought, let alone did things thoughtfully.

"Of course I did! What sort of guy do you take me for." He handed me a small card with a hand painted 'Happy Sixteenth' on the envelop. I opened it, and saw a sheet filled from edge to edge with well-wishes from everyone I'd met in my first year of school.

I barely remembered any of their names.

"How kind of them," I said, politely.

"That's what I thought," Daisuke said. "And then, out of the blue, you wrote me, and I thought I'd respond when my mother sent me the big news about -- well, I can't exactly say yet. Mom would murder me."

"Tell you what?"

"You'll see?" he grinned, "And from what I saw, you're going to like it."

I wondered what he was talking about, and what he'd seen, but I didn't press the issue any further since I found my uncle standing at the door with a perplexed look on his face. My Uncle was my grandmother's favorite since he was small. A quiet, well-behaved child that grew into an awkward, quiet young man, and then into a quiet, reserved crown prince when he was of age. The future Fire Lord however had a tendency to not actually speak to anyone unless spoken to.

He was looking at something behind us as if there was something wrong with it, and instead of a simple hello, he brushed right by us to check the door. "Uncle," I said, "Is everything okay?"

"Oh, Kuzon, I didn't see you and your friend there. It's the decorations, they're a bit off to the side here. The lights should be mixing."

"I don't see anything wrong with imperfect decorations. Who notices them, I sure didn't," Daisuke said. "Come on, your Majesty, you know you're above this. Delegate, find a servant, tell them to get their butt in gear, and do their job."

"Yes, well, I just thought it'd be easier," my uncle said in a very quiet voice. He was always rather moody, but he was surprisingly helpful and polite in most company.

"I'll help you with that," I said, as I couldn't refuse without feeling guilty. Daisuke rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms.

"All right, gents, we'll play that game, then," he said, a little more amused than I think he intended to be. We spent a bit straightening the lanterns in the hall, and I had to admit, the lights were quite pretty when they were properly arranged. The colors mixed together to make rich purples and elegant oranges in a subtle pattern.

"There," my Uncle said, "That's what I was going for."

"You planned this all out, huh?"

"In my spare time," he said, modestly, adjusting his glasses. "Well, the main hall is in order, and the servants are doing a fine job in the other corridors, so I think what you boys and I will have to do is a bit of supervision, followed by a second-look at the guest list, and preparations for the dance hall."

"This is going to be great," Daisuke said, "Hey, our the twins going to be there?"

"Hm?" my Uncle said, looking up, "You mean Kimiko and Michiko? Of course. They couldn't stop talking about the celebration."

My cousins, the dreadful twins, were going to be there, and it was the most harrowing thought of the day. They were incredibly creepy. They never seemed to ever be apart, and I swear to this day that they share a mental bond. They communicated without speaking, and they finished each other's sentences.

Daisuke, however, seemed to find all of this irresistible. "Excellent," he said, with a confident drawl. "So, Your Majesty, lead on."

"Oh, quite," my Uncle said with a surprised yelp.

* * *

Supervision seemed to involve splitting up, and Daisuke seemed more than happy to supervise the young ladies hired to prepare the dinner tables for tonight's feast, and Uncle Lu Ten was monitoring the corridors to make sure that the lights blended the colors together like in the other hall.

That left me with the undeniably frightening task of all. I had to see if my grandfather approved of the work so far. The old man was, and I swear always has been, a terrifying presence to stand before. The way his scar wraps around the side of his face, his eye always angry, always, and his stern, serious face.

My family is, for the most part, a rather unconventional sort. In public we put on airs of decorum and an almost similarly stern face, but in private we relax those appearances. My grandmother even cracks a smile once in a while, but I'd never, ever seen my grandfather lose control of his emotions for more than a second.

"Fire Lord Zuko?" I asked, approaching the audience chamber with a bowed head.

My Grandfather sat behind a wall of fire, his eyes closed, and he seemed lost in meditation. Not wishing to disturb him, I kneeled in front of him, and closed my eyes, head bowed down in deference.

The old man spoke in a whispery, rasping voice, "Kuzon, is everything all right?"

"Yes, Fire Lord Zuko," I said, in proper titles. "I am here to ask my Lord Grandfather's opinion on the current state of the palace for the celebration of my sixteenth birthday."

I swear, the old man let loose a low chuckle for a second, and I glanced upwards. Not a change on that stern face was there. "Kuzon," he said, and he sounded very old for that second, "Sixteen years all ready. There was a look on his face I couldn't place, but now I'm certain it was reminiscence. "I'll be around to see that the palace is in order momentarily."

I bowed again, "Thank you."

"A moment, Kuzon," he said. "While we are alone in this chamber, you need not use titles. You are my grandson, after all."

"Ah, I'm sorry, Grandfather," I managed to spurt out, red in the face.

"I heard the Lady Nadesico Hakamura is here."

"She is," I said, "Dad and Mom are talking to her."

"I see. I'd like to meet her. It's been many years," he said. He stood up, and grabbed his cane to steady himself. Fiercely independent even just shy of seventy, my grandfather was always with a cane to make up for injuries he'd sustained during the war that had been aggravated by time.

He terrified me, but he was the man I wanted to be. A true hero, even at his age.

The door to the chamber flew open as I stood to leave, and the guards stood there, absolutely stunned by the sudden noise. "What is all of this?" the Fire Lord demanded, and the guards shook their heads.

"No one -- " they were stopped by the flapping of wings by a small bird. It landed on the floor in front of me, and I saw, though I did not know its significance, that the bird had three feet. It dropped a note on the floor, and then began to flap its wings and take off again.

I picked up the note. The name on the envelope said 'Zuko.'

My Grandfather moved like a man possessed, siezing the note from my hand fiercely with his wrinkled hands and tearing it open. Whatever it said, I don't know, as he burned it up as soon as he read it, and his eyes seemed so much darker set.

"Grandfather," I whispered, "Is everything all right?"

"It's all right," I heard him say, shakily, "Everything will be all right. It is your birthday, the celebration will go on without interruption."

"What was that bird? I've never seen a raven-crow used as a messenger before."

My Grandfather did not say a word. He just leaned heavily on his cane and looked like an old man at the end of his days. "Yata-garasu."

"What?"

"Nothing," Grandfather said, coldly, "I need to speak to your parents. Do you know where they went?"

"I think they were entertaining Nadesico and her parents in their private study."

"Yes, of course," he said. "I should have known. Kuzon," he said, as if trying to grasp for words to tell me for reasons I did not know. He failed, faltering, and he walked off without saying a word, leaning heavier on that cane than I'd ever seen.

* * *

My Grandfather's sudden change in mood notwithstanding, there was a feeling of dread as I walked through those monolithic halls back towards the main hall. The shadows seemed just a bit longer and the crowd of servants seemed thinned.

When someone grabbed my shoulder, I turned to look back at it, and found no one there, and I quickly turned myself around to find who or what had snuck up on me in that old hallway. And yet there was no one standing there when I turned.

"Okay, this isn't funny," I said, nervously. "Daisuke, is this your idea of a joke?"

"Daisuke's here?" a voice whispered in my left ear. A voice in my right ear whispered, "That moron who hit on us?"

I whirled around, "Kimiko, Michiko!" The twins stood and smiled in that dull, creepy fashion of theirs. I've seen paintings of grandmother when she was young, when she always wore that bored expression on her face. They took after her, in many ways. The way they slouched their shoulders -- always away from each other in a creepy display of symmetry! -- the way they spoke in a creepy monotone, it all reminded me of grandmother.

But their eyes were different. Whereas ennui pervaded like a mist in her eyes, theirs were always alight with mischievous delight. "That's our names," Kimiko began, and Michiko finished, "Don't wear them out."

My Uncle's wife died when the two were very small, and my own mother had taken it on herself to act as a motherly figure to them when they were growing up. I still feel they conspired to steal her attention from me, and they were bullies in their own way, even if they were younger than me by a couple years they managed to intimidate me easily.

I never let it show, and I always prided myself on my stoic composure. "What do you want?"

"We wanted to see the pretty girl," Michiko said. Kimiko giggled, "Much too pretty fo Kuku." I bristled at Kimiko's nickname. It was the only way I could actively tell one from the other, Kimiko was the meaner of the two, with a tendency to give me nicknames at every opportunity.

"What do you mean she's too pretty for me?"

"Oh, Kimi!" Michiko complained, "You'll spoil his birthday surprise like that."

Kimiko put a hand to her mouth and had the decency to blush in shame, "Oh, you're right, Michi. Aunt Suzuka will be cross."

"What are you two talking about?" I asked, my voice rising as suspicion started to well up inside me. "What birthday surprise."

"Nothing!" they said in unison.

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously, but when the twins decided to keep a secret, it was kept. I decided to avoid pressing the issue, considering the poor luck I'd been having of late, and asked, "Have you seen grandfather?"

"He was just coming out of the study," Kimiko said, and Michiko added, "He looked really pale. Like he'd seen a ghost!" Kimiko giggled in delight at that description, "The Ghost of General Iroh!" Michiko was eager to join in, insisting, "No, no, the Ghost of the Phoenix King!"

"He got a strange message from a weird bird," I added. "Did he say anything to dad about it?"

"We don't know," they chorused, "We didn't get to go in."

"But I thought you went to see Nadesico."

"Oh, we did," Kimiko said. Michiko giggled, "Kuzon remembered her name. He must really like her."

"Hey, we were childhood friends!"

"Oh! I remember her now," Michiko said, Kimiko added, "She was the one who always wanted to play tea ceremony."

They both shared a look of distaste. "What's wrong with learning tea ceremony."

"Mad Aunt Azula practices tea ceremony," they chorused.

"What's wrong with Aunt Azula?" I demanded to know. I always grew a little angry when people called her mad.

"Total basketcase," they chorused.

"She's not," I protested, weakly, but I knew the prevalent image of my Great-Aunt. She didn't live in the Fire Nation anymore, she went underground in the Earth Kingdom many years ago to rediscover herself, she'd told me once, and at that time lived in Ba Sing Se, a wealthy but otherwise ordinary citizen.

"She really is, Kuzon," they continued in unison, "Toys in the attic."

"She's not!"

"Who's not?" a voice broke in. A gentle, soft voice that I immediately knew and felt safe around. The twins suddenly stopped being lionesses, and turned into kittens. They bowed and played with the ribbons in their hair.

"Aunt Suzuka!" they called out to my mother, "We were just playing with Kuzon!"

"That's good, girls," Mom said, looking at me, "Kuzon, you're going to be late for your own birthday party at this rate."

"Oh, yeah," I said, looking aside for something to catch my interest. "I know, but."

"No buts," Mom said, giving me a critical glance, "We have a lot to do. Walk with me." I couldn't disobey that order, and I fell into step alongside my mother. She was always so carefree and looked uncharacteristically serious today. "Now, I know your father insisted on it being a surprise, but when I was your age, I knew I wasn't exactly ready for this."

"My birthday?" I asked, "I'm fine with that. Sixteen years, finally entering adulthood."

"Yes," she said, "My little boy's going to be a man. And men are expected to, you understand, take on certain responsibilites."

"Yes, I know," I said. I was thinking in my head of all the things that came with being sixteen. I would be able to escort my Uncle and Father to diplomatic meetings and learn to rule, and all of these things seemed, at the time, exciting and fresh.

"All men," she continued, "Not just princes, must bear a certain duty."

"Mom?" I asked, now finally picking up that she was trying to carefully approach an awkward topic for her. I looked down at her, still hung up on the youthful joy of finally being taller than my mother.

"A man's duty to one woman," she said, finally, after taking a deep breath. "Your father swept me off my feet when we met, but our marriage was, you understand, an arranged one."

"An arranged marriage?" I asked, "Wait, do you mean --"

"We were discussing with the Hakamuras the possibility of arranging a marriage between their daughter and yourself, Kuzon," she said. "Your father has this delirious idea that it would be a wonderful birthday surprise, and no one's been able to talk him down, so, when he announces it, do your best to act surprised."

"Nadesico and I are going to --"

"That's right," she said, looking at me. "You look excited, young man."

"I do?" I tried to resume my stoic face, and my mother laughed at me. "What is it?"

"You look so serious, like your grandfather," she said, "But he smiles from time to time. I don't think I've seen you smile since you got back, not like you used to."

"Grandfather never smiles, he'd lose his mystique," I protested.

"He smiles quite often, especially when you talk to him about his most precious possessions," she said, giving me a meaningful look that in my sixteen years of age I did not fully comprehend. "Perhaps he appears stern, but he's a serious man who's lived a serious life."

She pulled me into a hug. "What was that for?" I asked, attempting to remain composed. I was far too cool to be caught hugging my mother.

"Does a mother need a reason to shower her little boy with affection?" she asked, a twinkle in her eye.

I couldn't exactly say she was wrong, embarrassed or not, I couldn't exactly tell my mother I didn't like the attention. She seemed to be growing more and more misty eyed. "You're a man now, though," she said, wistfully. "Come on, we need to get you cleaned up so you can greet the guests. They're coming in from all corners of the world."

"Yes, mom," I muttered.

* * *

Dressed in my finest robes for the evening's celebration, I felt a little like one of those penguins in the South Pole that I heard so much about, that waddled and could be ridden on one if you were to muster the gumption to jump one one's back and slide it down an icy slope. Waddling and uncomfortable, I found myself ushered off to the main hall to welcome the guests who came from all corners to the event.

The Earth King was attending, the King of Omashu had declined citing personal reasons, the same with the Great Chief of the Water Tribes, who had instead sent his wife in his place, a striking old woman who exuded a rather intimidating presence. "Prince Kuzon, it's an honor."

I nearly choked at her total lack of etiquette. She offered me her hand, and I just stared at it for quite a bit before she realized her misstep. "I'm sorry. We kind of don't have this level of, well, this sort of set-up in the Water Tribes."

"You don't seem very Water Tribe," I hazarded after a second.

"It shows, huh? Earth Kingdom, through-and-through."

"Lady Suki, you're holding up the line," I heard my Grandmother wryly proclaim from her seat. She raised an eyebrow in a mocking way, "Not often I see one of my old prison buddies at a fancy dress party."

"Mai, you haven't changed at all," Suki said, moving along and letting the line flow again. People came, people went, people I recognized, people I didn't, people my mother knew, people my grandfather knew, there were people as far as the eye could see and I was for the first time feeling a little shy.

Daisuke grabbed me around the shoulders, his messy hair tied up into a top-knot that looked uncharacteristic on him. It still spilled out from the tie, and he still had a large goofy grin on his face. "Man, your cousins totally blew me off."

"You're surprised?"

"Got farther than last time," he said, "The second one was the one to shoot me down this time."

Baby steps, I thought, shaking my head at his antics. "I need to greet the guests and --"

"Go along, Kuzon," my mother said, kindly, "Tell your father it's his turn to do the greeting. You should be enjoying your birthday party by now."

"We'll do that right away, milady, and might I add, you look lovely this evening. Is that a new kimono, the colors bring out your eyes."

"Daisuke," I grumbled.

"Oh, you," she said, shaking her head with a laugh, "You're a trouble-maker. Keep my boy out of your trouble, though."

"Sure, I will!"

"Thank you. You two have fun, all right, try not to break too many hearts," she teased, pushing me along.

"Well, time to find your old man," Daisuke said, "It's a pity your mother's married. She's gorgeous."

"She's my mom!"

"And you have a very pretty mommy, is all I'm saying."

I still am not sure, to this day, if he was doing this to get a rise out of me. It worked without fail, and I am certain my face turned a shade of red and smoke started to come out of my nose. "Shut up, Daisuke!"

"Whoa, cool it, you'll start a fire," Daisuke laughed. I grunted.

My Firebending was considered prodigious, but I didn't really have time to focus on it, and my control sometimes waned when I lost my temper. My dad thought it was hilarious, and he would often whisper things to my grandfather, who would not, and he'd watch me more closely afterwards.

Dad and Grandfather were busy talking near the back of the room when we approached, and my dad's expression was not the usual easy-going smile. He seemed to be concerned about something, and spoke in hushed voices. I could see Uncle Lu Ten looking somewhat flustered nearby, a resigned expression on his face.

My dad was not so easily put back by my Grandfather's stern look. "Dad, it's your turn to greet the guests," I said.

"Come on, don't leave your beautiful wife unattended too long, some young stallion may sneak in and steal her away."

"Oh, good point," he managed to retort in a distracted way, "I'll be sure to keep the rhinos away from the palace just to be safe. Dad, I'm serious, you can't just --"

"Enough," the Fire Lord said, "Today is a celebration. I won't hear anymore from you, Roku. My decision is final."

Dad looked hurt, and bowed his head, "Stubborn old fool," I heard him mutter as he moved straight towards the entrance without a second glance. I felt a bit concerned, he didn't even wish me a happy birthday.

Grandfather surprised me, saying, "He is simply concerned about things that do not concern him," he said. "He's a good son, but he is still uninvolved."

"Grandfather,' I said, "I'm sure he just wants to help."

"We can help too. We're manly men now," Daisuke added. My Grandfather did not look amused.

"Today, Kuzon, your new life will begin. You will now bear your own responsibilities, and face your own hardships. These hardships, these trials, will lead you to discover the man you must be to face the future."

"Typical Zuzu," I heard someone familiar mutter from the crowd, "Uncle was always better at the philosophy, you know."

"Aunt Azula!" I called out as the crowd let her pass. She was an old lady with dignity and grace of someone much younger, a face that carried many wrinkles, and tired bags under her eyes, but she always had a reserved and quiet aura to her. "You came!"

"You did not think I'd stay in Ba Sing Se on my favorite nephew's sixteenth birthday, did you?" I pulled her into a hug, which had her looking more confused and uncomfortable than anything, but I was happy to see her. I hadn't seen her since we'd visited her and her teahouse in Ba Sing Se. She looked well, and I was happy.

"Azula," my Grandfather said, carefully, "Welcome home."

Azula didn't immediately respond, and finally, quietly, and a little melancholy, she said, "This was never my home, Zuko. Don't mock me."

"I'm not," he responded. "Welcome home. You've been gone a long time."

"You've gotten old," Azula answered. "Five years ago, you'd never have said that."

"Five years ago, maybe I would have. How is the Jasmine Dragon?"

"Small talk doesn't suit you, Fire Lord," Azula said. "And it fares well. Well enough that her mistress can leave her with the staff for a few days."

"You just arrived? I insist you stay here in the palace," Grandfather said. He did not sound thrilled about the idea, but I could sense that he was trying, for some reason or another. I still don't know the reason, but I now have suspicions as to what they were.

"Kuzon," Azula said, with a smile, "A lovely young lady has been looking for you for some time. Your father has some kind of announcement business to take care of." She wrapped her spindly fingers over my shoulder, "You should go see them."

"Yes, I guess I should."

When I left, the conversation between my Great-Aunt Azula and Grandfather became much more serious. "I noticed that the Mountain King and the Great-Chief didn't show. Surprising, though, that you don't seem surprised."

"Why would I be?"

"Word travels," Azula said, "And word says that the Avatar has left the Air Temples for the first time in ten years. And then, suddenly, the Great-Chief and the Mountain King both decline to appear at the biggest social event of the year? I don't believe in coincidences."

"I don't care for the tone."

"I want to know, has someone threatened you all for what happened almost fifty years ago?" Aunt Azula was always predatorial, and careful. She watched my Grandfather like a hawk until he responded.

"I received a letter."

"I thought as such," Azula said. "Oh, look, they're about to make the announcement."

"Honored guests," Dad called from the podium as he raised a bowl of rice wine. "I'm honored that you've all joined us to celebrate my son's coming of age. Prince Kuzon is now sixteen, of age to be considered an adult. And," he grinned, "Well, we have another reason to celebrate."

Nadesico looked at me conspiratorially, as if saying she was sorry for something, and I smiled back at her, trying to calm her down. I had never been in love before, but I was certain that on that night I felt it for the first time.

"Nadesico, only daughter of the Hakamura family --"

My Dad -sentence as a man appeared in the doorway. He was dressed in simple peasant's clothes, but he stood seven feet tall and on his head he bore a tattoo of a bird of some kind. He looked straight to the back of the room.

I suddenly was gripped with a feeling of panic, and I gave Nadesico a fleeting look as I vanished into the crowds and ran as fast as I could through the stunned revelers. I knew, on some instinctual level, that this man was here for my Grandfather, and I knew I had to do something.

"What is the meaning of this?" my Dad demanded to know. He was moving from the podium up to the man, and when he approached, he was thrown aside with a simple shrug. I watched with growing horror as my Grandfather, hobbling on his cane, approached the man.

"You came," he said, firmly.

"Zuko, Fire Lord," the man recited as if reading a warrant, "It is time."

"You interrupt my grandson's birthday, and demand to humble the Fire Lord before his people? I won't stand for this, no matter who you are."

The man reached his hand out, and my Grandfather batted it away with his cane. "You resist?"

"No, but not here," he said with a haggard sigh. "Not here."

"Get away from my grandfather!" The words escaped my lips before I could even think about saying them. I ran to him, fire bursting from my limbs as I moved to punch him with as much force as I could.

The way he moved was unreal, the man grabbed my arms, avoiding the flames, and he snapped me around, cutting off my breath as he twisted my arms back. I fell to the ground and coughed from the force of his throw.

"Kuzon!" my Grandfather shouted, his eyes ablaze.

The strange man stared at me for a moment, and I watched him with a cold glare. He turned to my Grandfather, took him in his hands, forcing his limbs to move in ways they were not ready to, and Grandfather's shouts of pain shook me greater than my own pained arms.

The Fire Lord was being embarrassed in front of guests from all over the world by this stranger. In my head, I couldn't accept this. I shouted, "If you want someone, take me!" And the massive man paused, and complied.

He put Grandfather down and picked me up in his massive hands and I saw him close his eyes and I felt like something had struck me deep within, something spiralling into my very spirit and I could feel this man's spirit, a spirit that burned brighter than the sun, and my eyes were alight with flame.

I felt something tearing me up from within, and I heard, from a great distance, the sound of fire and thunder.

And the man pulled away, his body writhing from the flames and the coursing of lightning. Grandfather grunted through the pain as he stood up straight without his cane, and my Great Aunt Azula stared at the man, her hands painted blue from the lightning still charged in her hands.

"Kuzon!" I heard Nadesico cry.

The world seemed very distant, and I felt like I was merely an observer. Inside me, I felt like I was being tugged in two directions, and my eyelids felt very heavy and I couldn't quite keep them open.

I fell into a deep, restless sleep with only dreams to keep me company, empty dreams filled with men with no faces and no souls. All of them empty except for one, a girl who called my name. I answered quite slowly.

She was someone I'd never seen before in my life.

_To be continued._


	2. Wake

_**Spirits LIke White Lightning**_

_By Iain R. Lewis_

_Disclaimer: Avatar belongs to Nickelodeon._

**Chapter 2: **_Wake_

I don't know what happened after that, my memories of the dreams become a blur, a shockingly vivid blur, but still, I couldn't even begin to describe the terrors and nightmares I experienced in that state. The girl who I'd never seen before was the only comfort I felt in those nightmares, and I tried to find her with every turn they made.

But, at times, dreams turned pleasant, and those were the times she was there, like a spirit guiding me home. That's what I became to believe her to be. The dreams seemed lifetime, and to the world outside, I must have seemed feverish, tossing and turning as nightmares and dreams alternated inside my brain.

It was almost a week past when I woke up from my dream and I stared, wide-eyed, drenched in cold sweat at the ceiling of my room. I cried out, and someone put their hands ever so gently on my shoulder, calming me down and filling me with a comfortable warmth.

"You scared me," the person said, "I thought you were -- I thought --"

I knew that voice, and my eyes slowly focused and cast away the bleariness. Yes, there she was, not looking quite as groomed and proper as I'd remembered her, but still, beautiful and with warm eyes staring right at me, "Nadesico?"

"Oh, Kuzon," she said, weakly, "I don't know what I'd do if you didn't wake up. It's been near a week since -- well, you know."

"That man, did they --"

"Rest, Kuzon," Nadesico urged, "You're going to strain yourself. You weren't sleeping very well, and the physician told me to make sure if you woke up that you just rest. Take it slowly, please, I don't want to think what would happen if --"

"I'm all right, really," I told her, "But that man, he attacked the Fire Lord, he couldn't have gotten away."

"I'll try and tell you what has happened if you promise me you will just get some rest, Kuzon," she said, smiling in a worried way. I found myself thinking about how pretty she looked, to my surprise, forgetting ever so briefly the position I was in.

"All right."

With relief washing over her face, Nadesico made herself comfortable in her seat, and began to tell me about what happened in the time I'd been asleep. Her story was a little bit lacking, I thought, but I didn't say anything.

"Well, after they managed to pull you to safety, the guards pursued that strange man out of the hall. He moved so slowly, like he didn't even care. Perhaps he'd been injured. The Fire Lord looked furious. I don't understand why.

"While the men tried to capture him, that man managed to fend them off. Even the Firebenders were overwhelmed. Daisuke even rushed after him and was thrown aside. But, still, the man was able to get outside, and when he did, something peculiar happened."

"What was that?" I asked. She furrowed her brow. "What?"

"It's nothing, I'm just a little worried you'll think I came up with this. I'm not making this part up, promise me you won't think that."

"I promise."

"All right," she said, continuing. "He sprouted wings and flew off. Well, that's what one of the guards said. The other said that he was plucked up by a murder of raven-crows. It was so strange."

"Maybe he used them as a distraction, and was just hiding in the bushes until people gave up looking," I answered. I must have sounded so practical and scientific, since she laughed at me.

"You're right, that sounds much more likely, but still! It was an amazing story, don't you think? Afterwards, your father and mother took you to the physician since you weren't moving, and we were so frightened you'd been seriously hurt."

"What did the old doc say?" I asked, a bit more informally than I wanted.

"Well," she said, thankfully ignoring my woozy lapse in manners, "I don't actually know. I wasn't there, you see." I nodded, understanding. "However, whatever he said made the Fire Lord furious. He petitioned the Great Chief to send a healer posthaste, and we are still actually waiting for him to respond."

A healer from the Water Tribe was sent for? It made my mind reel. Perhaps my grandfather's grief and worry was so great that it allowed him to beg another nation for aid. I did not think Grandfather would do such a thing, though, not without good cause.

Nadesico noticed me become more pensive, and she tapped my hand gently. "You're getting a look that tells me you're not resting. Please, don't worry about it. The Fire Nation's finest are searching for this man, he'll be found."

"Is everyone else all right? He didn't hurt Grandfather, did he?"

"Oh, yes, I know what you mean," Nadesico said, "When I heard him shout like that, I thought he must have, as well, but no. Apparently the Fire Lord suffered some injuries during the great war, and that was what caused him so much pain."

"Oh," I said, looking embarrassed. I'd rushed in like a fool and shamed myself in front of everyone when Grandfather was not in any actual danger. "And the people who tried to stop him?"

"They're fine, actually. He managed to just wind them, mostly," she said.

That brought with it more questions than answers, which made my head hurt. "I think I should rest."

"Yes, that would be best. Kuzon, while you were unconscious, I spoke with your mother about -- what I mean to say is, did she tell you?"

She looked crimson, and I smiled softly, "Maybe. What in particular?"

"That, about your parents, and my parents, and the," she paused, "The matchmaker."

"Oh, that something," I smirked, "No, I hadn't actually been told."

"Kuzon!" she gasped, shocked, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to -- what I meant to say, your mother told me she'd mentioned it and that you seemed to be all right with it, but --"

"I'm kidding, Nadesico," I chuckled, "I just thought it'd be funny."

"It wasn't," she said. It was like we were kids again, actually. I remembered, faintly, playing those games with her and I'd tease her from time to time. She crossed her arms, "Now I'm not going to say anything else."

"I'm sorry, Nadesico," I told her. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I was just trying to make you smile."

"You were?" she asked, and I looked into those warm eyes. "Oh, I see, well -- yes, you know about it, then? Your father has told me we have to postpone the official arrangement."

"Why?" I wondered.

"I don't know!" she said, helplessly, "I just know what your father has told me. Kimiko and Michiko, those two told me that it came from the Fire Lord's request."

"The twins like spreading rumors like that, I wouldn't believe them without some corroborating evidence."

"Oh? They would lie like that?"

"No," I admitted, glumly, "But they sometimes like telling you only a small part of the truth and letting you draw your own conclusions. They're masters at misdirection."

"Oh. I see," she said, flustered, "Well, they said that you were in trouble because of something. It was mostly just confusing, and a bit worrying."

I was in trouble? That news didn't sit well with me. "I'm sure it's nothing."

"Well, I have also heard a thing or two, like that the guest from the Water Tribes is still here," she said, "And that she's been in discussion with the Fire Lord over somethings. I don't know if it's true or not, but apparently there was some talk about you, too."

"Oh," I answered, which wasn't much, but it was all I could think of.

"And, well, also," she said, "I know the Fire Lord has been here a lot. He'd come in, ask me to leave him alone for a while, and then would send for me an hour later to come back. He was very kind when I spoke to him. He wanted to know if I was all right, and said he appreciated what I was doing."

"Yeah," I murmured, "I appreciate it too."

She smiled an honest smile, and put her hand against mine, "Well, if we are to be betrothed, I'd have to fulfill what's expected of me, wouldn't I?"

Betrothed, it never struck me how monolithic that sounded until she said it. I wasn't unwelcoming of it, I supposed, but it for the first time felt serious and real. "Well, yeah, I guess so," I said, so not to worry her. "Are you really okay with having this match picked for you?"

"Yes, of course!" she said, a little too eagerly, though I didn't really pay it much mind, "After all, we make a wonderful match, don't you think?"

"Yeah," I said, in agreement. And we really seemed to, so it made things a little easier. "Well, I'm lucky to have a pretty fiancee."

"That's just sweet." The door opened and Nadesico nearly jumped out of her skin. I turned and looked at the speaker, but I already knew who it was. "A little too sweet for my taste, but it's so good to see my sister getting along so well with you, Kuzon."

"Daisuke, don't you ever knock?" I asked, tersely.

"Nope," he said, "It makes opening doors just that much more exciting. You never know what will be behind it, always a surprise."

"Daisuke, you scared me!" Nadesico shrieked.

"I know, it was great," Daisuke laughed. "Shouldn't you be fetching the royal physician, sis? Me and your boyfriend need to have words. Manly words that women shouldn't hear."

"Oh, no! I was supposed to -- I'm so sorry, Kuzon, I won't be long. Don't strain yourself, please."

"Don't worry, I'll watch after him."

"That's what I'm worrying about," Nadesico said, sharply. It took me by surprise, but Daisuke seemed to roll with it, waving after her as she hurried into the hall. Daisuke shrugged at me, when he noticed my expression.

"Absolute paragon of a proper woman, maybe," Daisuke said, "But it's not like she was born like that, right? She had her tomboy streak, trust me, you'll know it when you see it. So, bro, what's the good word?"

"I've been in a bed for I don't know how long," I said, "What do you think?"

"Great. Anyway, about this whole betrothal thing." I cocked my head to the side, interested in Daisuke's thoughts on the matter. "You really want to go through with it? I mean, you can back out, before it's too late."

"I don't know, Daisuke. It could be much worse," I said, "And besides, she's pretty amazing, looking after me like this."

"She was scared at first that you wouldn't wake up. You should have seen her after the first day. She just sat there so long she'd fallen asleep with her eyes open. It was kind of creepy."

"I'm sorry I was out so long."

"It's okay, I took over a few shifts, so did some other servants, and the Fire Lord, too. It was nice of him. He seems kind of okay in person, you know?"

"He's an amazing individual," I said, critically. Daisuke had a tendency to view everyone as his friend, even if he'd never met them prior. I was surprised that it reached up to my grandfather, too. Any minute now, he'd be regaling me with stories about the times the two of them had shared during my period of unconsciousness, or so I dreaded.

"Well, yeah, but stand-offish, just a bit. Sort of like you, really," he said. "You both got that severe look in your eyes."

"Some of us just take life seriously."

"Well, that's good for you," Daisuke said, "But the rest of us have to live with you."

He laughed, and I rolled my eyes, "Nadesico said I had to rest, so stop making me wnat to punch you, okay?"

Daisuke nodded, "Yeah, guess it's a bit mean to pick on the infirmed."

I smirked, and he just shrugged. "Anyway," I said to him, "You okay? I heard you threw yourself at that guy."

"Yeah, just a bruise here or there. He was a big one," he said. He furrowed his brow, "But he did something to you, something different. I don't know if anyone else saw it, or if I was just imagining it, so I didn't say anything, but, it seemed like when he grabbed you, something happened?"

"What sort of something?" I asked, apprehensively.

"Well," poor Daisuke was at a loss for words. He finally stuttered out, "Well, it looked like I could see your spirit coming out of you, and that guy, too, only his was much bigger."

I remembered feeling like something was happening that struck me that deeply, but it still seemed wholly unusual. "You're sure?"

"Not at all," he said, "But that's the best I can give you. I don't even know what a human spirit looks like, but that's the only thing I could think of, unless you have a light-show inside there."

I shook my head.

"If that were the case, you'd need spirit water," Daisuke said. "Maybe that's why the Fire Lord sent for a healer. Do you think that's possible?"

"I don't know," I said. It was starting to get just a little too far-fetched for my liking. "Look, I'm fine, everything's okay. When that healer gets here, we can just apologize and send them home, right?"

"Yeah, guess so." Daisuke shrugged, "Your Mom and Dad have been all out of sorts, too. I'm sure they're going to be eager to hear you've woken up."

Mom and Dad hadn't been yet, but that wasn't exactly surprising. Despite being the youngest son and as such, only third in line for the throne, Dad was often just as busy as my uncle, sometimes more.

"Are they coming?" I asked.

"Yeah, you think I was just sitting outside the door the whole time listening in to your conversation."

"Knowing you, yes." I wasn't in the mood for Daisuke's usual games. He looked hurt for his part, quickly running a hand through his hair.

"Well, I went to tell them."

"So?"

"They're a bit busy, what with the Fire Lord fetching them. So, that's just how it goes," Daisuke said. "Besides, they said it was probably best for you and your future wife to get to know each other."

That didn't seem right. I watched Daisuke closely. I wasn't much one for observations. I'd heard that people could read even the most subtle body language and discern a lie or evasiveness, but I didn't believe I was capable of it. Still, Daisuke was many things but subtle. He brushed back his hair again. It was almost like he was nervous.

"You're not serious."

"Okay, okay," Daisuke said, "I know that look. I can't say anything else without getting into serious trouble, so I'm just going to go run and fetch the -- Oh, look it's the Royal Physician, I should go."

The Royal Physician, a man of indeterminable age, likely thoroughly somewhere in the middle, who I'd known since I was very small. He was flanked on both sides by my parents, and when they saw me look at them, the relief that came over them was visible. "You're all right," my mom said, with a slight tremble to her voice, "We were so worried."

"I'm fine," I said. "Right?"

The Royal Physician looked to my parents and back at me. "I'd like to undergo a few examinations."

"Of course," my Dad said.

I looked at the physician, and he studied me curiously. "What sort of examinations?" I didn't like the smile that crossed his face. He never did answer me, either.

* * *

Following the 'examinations' which I would, for my own sense of shame prefer not to disclose, I was ordered to sleep and rest, and he would be with me in the morning to discuss a few things related to my general health.

All in all, it came off as unusual. Still, I couldn't do anything but listen to him, and I found sleep was much more pleasant. I woke up the next morning feeling much better, and when I rose from bed, ever so gingerly, I found myself as strong as ever.

"Good morning," the physician said, looking me over once again with that scrutinizing glance. "I see you're feeling much stronger this morning. Excellent. Now, permit me to set a few guidelines."

"Yeah?" I managed to mutter as I started to do a few rudimentary stretches. "What guidelines."

"I would think for the time that it best you do not overexert yourself. The Fire Lord agrees and has forbidden you from your firebending training until such time as you're deemed fit enough."

My face turned sour. Firebending training was the highlight of my day, and it was one of the few places I really felt like I flourished. "You've got to be joking."

"I do not," he said, pausing, and adding with a degree of distaste, "Joke."

"Fine, no firebending, I got it," I answered, coldly. "What about my sword, that out, too?"

"For now," the physician answered. "There's also a waterbender coming from the Northern Tribe. Why we need their unscientific opinion on this I cannot fathom."

"Does Grandfather know you question his decision on that?" I asked, rubbing my neck. "I thought it was a bit extreme too."

"No, I suppose I agree with his assessment. I cannot find, strictly speaking, anything wrong with you, however, your period of unconsciousness was unusually long."

"Six days, right? Yeah, I'd call that long," I answered. I yawned, "I'm sorry, I think it's time for breakfast. I haven't had a decent meal in -- well, a week."

"Indeed. I hope you don't mind but I've adjusted your menu for the next few days, to speed along your recovery."

I didn't know what that meant, but I thanked him anyway and prepared myself for the day. I changed myself into my casual training clothes and felt my stomach rumble. I actually planned out the whole day in my head. After breakfast, it would be time for a nice, hot soak and then perhaps try and find Daisuke or Nadesico and enjoy a brief and welcome break from tutors.

I got as far as breakfast before plans began to derail.

"That certainly looks appetizing," my Dad joked when he saw the plate brought out for me. It was rather brown, and sticky. "I see our physician meddled with your food again."

"I'm so hungry," I murmured, weakly, "Can't I have some of your breakfast, Dad?"

"I think you should trust the physician, Kuzon," Mom said, reprimanding me quickly. "It's only rice."

"Or used to be," I said sourly.

"Now, now," Dad laughed, "You're being as sour as your granddad."

"I'm sure he'd like to hear you describing him as sour, brother." Uncle Lu Ten walked into the room looking over a series of messages busily. "Good morning everyone, sorry I'm late."

"Lu Ten, I'm only sorry we couldn't wait. Kuzon was starved." Mom tried to look apologetic, but Dad just laughed. He was about to add something when Uncle Lu Ten looked over my shoulder at my mushy breakfast.

"Oh, creamed rice, is it?" he asked, "I'll have the chef prepare some for me, as well." I glowered at him. If Uncle wanted some so badly, I was happy to give him mine. Now that I knew I wasn't going to eat, I just stewed in my seat.

"Good morning, Father," the voices of the twin terrors said in unison, "Auntie, Uncle, Kuzon," they greeted in a cordial way, sitting on either side of me.

"Oh my, Kuzon," Kimiko said, and Michiko finished, "What smells so rank!"

"My breakfast," I answered, but rather pointedly aware that I hadn't really washed up before heading down to eat. "I'm going to excuse myself, Mom. I think I need to visit the baths."

"Oh, yes, that may be wise," Mom said, a bit reluctantly, "I'll see if the cook won't prepare you something with a little more color."

"Thanks," I murmured, tiredly.

When I returned from the bath, feeling a lot better, but still uncomfortably hungry, I found in place of my creamed rice was a bowl of fruits. Mom smiled at me, but she didn't say anything. My Dad and Uncle Lu Ten's voices carried in the dining hall, and even the twins looked a little uncomfortable.

"We need to find that man, and you're telling me everyone's coming up blank."

"Roku, I've told you, as soon as we find him, we'll bring him in. We've assembled a team of our best firebenders to apprehend him should he make any attempts at the palace, but like I said before, he's just vanished."

"Who is this guy, anyway?" I asked. Dad and Uncle looked at me, and their faces got a little bit redder. "Sorry, I'm just curious. I mean, he attacked Grandfather, I'm sure someone would know who he is."

"Well," Uncle said, "He's a peasant from the outskirts. He worked at a farm. Quiet sort, kept to himself. Name of Hiroshi, I think it was. That's about all we know. A little over two weeks ago he just up and vanished from the farm without a word."

"That's unimportant," Dad said, "He hasn't been back there, it's just a dead end."

"Brother, please compose yourself. Your son is all right."

"And that man is lucky that he is," Dad answered angrily. I'd never seen him so upset. The Twins looked at him, and then at me. They leaned in and whispered in my ear.

"Uncle Roku's been like that all week," Michiko said, and Kimiko concluded, "It's kind of cool."

The door to the dining hall opened while my Dad and Uncle argued, and then the room grew quiet as the Fire Lord entered. Grandfather looked at me, and then back at his sons and he said, in the calmest, most level voice I'd heard, "Is there a reason this business is being conducted at my breakfast?"

"Father," Dad and Uncle said in unison.

"I'm sorry," Dad said, "It's just the lack of progress is --"

"-- and I'm doing my best, but I'm not exactly used to this sort of work, after all, I'm a prince, not a general and --"

"-- with Kuzon and, well, yourself, Father, I just wanted to be sure he was found."

Grandmother sighed, sitting at her seat, and looking over at Zuko, "The boys never change. Always forgetting to take turns."

"Sorry," they said, looking an awful lot like they were just scolded.

Grandmother yawned, "Well, Zuko, weren't we going to enjoy a nice family meal for once?"

"I was trying to," Grandfather said. He sat at the head of the table. "Where is my sister, she was invited to this." He looked impatient. Aunt Azula must have stayed. "No matter. She'll make her entrance whenever she feels like it, I suppose."

"That was always her style," Grandmother said, her voice showing traces of bitterness, "Always interrupting."

"Yes, yes," Grandfather said, dismissively. "Kuzon."

"Yes, Grandfather?" I responded, my spine going straight as soon as he called on me.

"Is that all you're having for breakfast?" he asked. I thought, with his tone, he was going to ask me something more severe.

"Oh, yes, I think so," I said, "The physician has me on a very strict menu."

"I see." Grandfather looked over to the twins. "Kimiko, Michiko, good morning."

"Good morning, granddad!" they said, quite cheerfully and in perfect harmony. "How are you this morning?"

"Well enough," he said, but I wasn't entirely convinced. "And now my sister deigns to join us. Impeccable timing."

"Well the tea leaves won't prepare themselves," Aunt Azula said, tiredly as she entered and sat right across from me. "I see you're conducting a morning interrogation. Do you have anything to ask of me, or would you rather I start up an actual conversation?"

I'd never seen Grandfather look so red in his face before. "I was not holding a morning interrogation, I was merely asking everyone how their morning has been."

"Of course, brother dear," she said, waving her hand and smiling. "It's good to see Kuzon's woken up at last. The physician is making you eat that? What an old fool, that one." She was certainly my Aunt, abrasive and the center of attention.

Dad and Uncle shared conspiratorial glances, and Grandfather stared at Aunt Azula with at tired and annoyed expression. She spoke with my mother, mostly, about the past seasons and how she missed the Fire Nation.

"Well, she's certainly lively," Dad said, "It's a little unusual to have Aunt Azuila back."

"Especially after the unpleasantness," Uncle added. "Father, I heard that the Waterbender you requested is scheduled to arrive today."

"Oh, yes, thank you, Lu Ten," Grandfather said. He looked to me, "I hope you don't begrudge a second opinion."

"Oh, me? No," I said, weakly. What else could I say? "I've heard stories about waterbenders. They're able to heal physical wounds in seconds, right?"

"Some, yes," Grandfather said. "A special few can heal wounds of the spirit, as well, with a little help."

"Oh," I said, and grew quiet, I suppose, as my Dad gave me a concerned look. "So, who is this waterbender?"

"I haven't any clue," Grandfather said, "I've never met this one, but I've heard she trained under Saya."

"Saya?" Uncle Lu Ten repeated, "Oh, yes, I've heard of Saya. The Miracle-Bender, they called her, yes?"

"Indeed." Grandfather's expression darkened considerably, and I leaned ever closer to learn more about this so-called Miracle-Bender. "It was a great loss, a healer of her talents would have brought much honor and well-deserved pride to the women of the Water Tribe."

"Why's that?" I asked.

"Though it's changed in recent years, the women of the Northern Tribe were mainly designated to domestic tasks, unless they were benders." Uncle Lu Ten nodded, "Yes, then they were trained to heal. An amazing talent, that."

"But they didn't have a choice?" I wondered.

"Saya was born in a time after a single girl caused that to change," my grandfather said, and I could swear he was getting nostalgic again. "She was talented, and if she'd wanted, she could have had any waterbending master falling over themselves to teach her. However, she devoted herself entirely to healing."

"Oh," I murmured, "She was really good at it, too?"

"When a healer claimed someone was too far-gone, she would come and without even needing the spirit oasis's waters, she could bring someone back from the brink," Grandfather said. "She was, indeed, a miracle-bender."

"It's a pity we never met her," Uncle said. "She would have been a great help."

"Unfortunate," Grandfather said, "The brightest flame snuffs out first."

I frowned. So this Saya was dead, and that's why she wasn't the one Grandfather had sent for. "So, this healer knew her?"

"Trained under her," Grandfather corrected. "I hope for an answer, but I'm not precisely sure what I seek."

"About what happened -- with me?"

"Yes," Grandfather said. "Do not worry yourself over it."

But I was worrying about it. Why Grandfather sent for a healer worried me more than he thought. The idea that we needed someone from outside the Fire Nation just shook me the wrong way. All my life, I'd lived in the Fire Nation, the way we did things seemed right, and the foreign dignitaries with their own customs seemed stranged.

It wasn't that I hated the other nations, or thought myself superior to them, but it was more I was uncomfortable with their way of doing things. Healing with waterbending seemed, at least on the surface, quite useful and fascinating, but we'd managed to produce our own remedies, after all, why would we need their help?

And Grandfather was always fierce in his independence. He knew when to ask for aid and when, otherwise, it would be frivolous and a waste of his allies' time. So if he needed to ask a favor of the Water Tribes, then something was severe.

These things, combined with my overactive imagination, were not helped by the sudden lurking presence of the twins just behind me. "Kuzon's sick," Kimiko said in a voice just loud enough for me to hear. Michiko grunted an agreement, and added, "Probably dying."

"Hey, stop that!" I hissed, turning back to look at them.

"Poor Kuzon," they sighed in unison. "We'll mourn for you," Michiko said, and Kimiko concluded, "Just as if we were your sisters."

"Girls, please stop harassing your cousin," Grandmother said, a bemused smile on her face, "If you're going to tease him, do so away from the breakfast table."

Aunt Azula smiled at me in a mysterious way, and then said, "Girls, would you be a dear for your old auntie to go and fetch her tea, it should be ready by now."

"Why us?" they asked in unison.

"Because I asked you to," Aunt Azula said clearly. "Would you make an old woman walk all the way to the kitchen to fetch it herself? For shame, girls, for shame."

"But, the servants could --" they looked at their aunt and her expression was so clear and sinister that they just bowed their heads and resigned themselves. "Yes, Auntie."

I'd never seen that happen before. It was something incredible. I would have pumped my fists, but I could see Aunt Azula's eyes fixate on me, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stick up. "Yes, Aunt Azula?"

"Would you join me outside for a cup of tea?" she asked.

"Of course, Aunt Azula," I said. I rose from my seat and walked over to help her up. She smiled and bowed her head, long gray hair falling over her face as she did. The firmness of her grip betrayed a lot more strength than I anticipated her having at her age.

"If you'll excuse us," Aunt Azula said to Grandfather, who nodded, and watched us with a curious expression on his face. When we were outside, amongst the vibrant garden, where summer's dying buds led into the autumn. "It's so wonderful to enjoy the last days of summer back home."

"I'm glad you could make it. I didn't expect you to stay this long."

"The old tea house can run itself quite fine without my meddling, that I'm certain," she said to me, watching me with a twinkle in her eye. "Besides, when my favorite nephew finds himself laid up in bed for a week, one makes exceptions."

"Sorry," I murmured.

"Do not be. You had no way of knowing what manner of opponent you faced."

"Well," I began, and she silenced me.

"Your grandfather is being an old fool." She looked around the garden, and frowned, "You probably are all right. He is just stuck on that small possibility that something worse is at work here."

She looked at me, and smiled, "So, have you tried Firebending since you finally woke up? Even making a small flame?"

"I haven't, but," I hesitated. I was told not to continue my exercises, but I saw no harm in lighting a flame. I did so, in the palm of my hand, and I could feel its warmth flowing within me and without me. "There."

"I see."

I extinguished it, "Why?"

"That should be enough to calm his fears," I heard her murmur quietly. "Nothing, never mind."

"Tea's served!" the twins shouted, happily, each holding a tray, one with the tea kettle, the other with the teacups. "Can we stay and have some?"

"Perhaps some other time," Aunt Azula said, "I need to speak with your cousin in private."

"Oh," the twins said, in perfect unison. Aunt Azula took the trays and began to pour the coffee, resting them on an old stone table. "Bye, Auntie. Bye Kuzon."

When they had left, Aunt Azula remained quiet for a bit, before she finally began to speak again. "I believe my brother has it in his head that you've had your bending sealed away. Preposterous, I know, but I suppose after what happened to Father, I can't blame him."

I furrowed my brow, "How would my bending get sealed away."

"I'm not sure. Perhaps he thought that man was the Avatar!" Aunt Azula scoffed, "No, that's not fair. I know full well who he thinks that man was, and considering his miraculous escape, perhaps he's right to be just a little foolish."

"Who? His name's Hiroshi, I thought."

"Perhaps it was," Aunt Azula continued, "Perhaps, once. But now, that marking on his face, did you get a good look at it?"

I nodded. I remembered the bird-shaped markings on his face.

"It was a strange marking, wasn't it? Not often that birds have three legs, yes?" she asked. She took a sip of the tea, and she recoiled, "Lousy blend."

I sipped it, seeing nothing wrong. "What about the marking is so special, though?"

"Nothing, I suppose. Perhaps us old timers are just seeing patterns where they don't exist. Still," she said, "The letter Zuzu received, this man's appearance the very same night, and whatever he tried to do to you, I'm certain there is no coincidence there."

"Yeah, a raven-crow with three legs," I said, remembering that detail filled me with a bit of pride, "I've never seen one like that."

"No, you wouldn't have," Aunt Azula said. She sighed. "In our lives, spirits play such an important part, wouldn't you say?" I didn't agree, but I nodded. She cackled, "Don't agree with me just because I'm your Aunt or because I'm just a little bit crazy, agree with me because you believe I'm right."

"Well, it's just," I said, "I've never seen a spirit before."

"Kuzon, in our lives, spirits like white lightning streak through the blackness of our future, leading us on our way and bringing us to a better place."

She looked down at her reflection in the tea, and sighed, "Just as I needed their guidance, a time will come when you need theirs. Perhaps sooner than you think, too." She shook her head. "That bird was one, you know, a rather important one at that," she looked up at me, and murmured softly, "Yata-Garasu."

That word again. "What does that mean?"

"It's a name. A name of that bird," she said, "Yata-Garasu, the messenger of the Heavens."

"What does a spirit bird and that man have in common, though?" I wondered. "Are you sure that it was really a spirit, and not just a strange looking bird?"

"Not at all," Aunt Azula said. "But I believe it to be Yata-Garasu, and so does my brother. Which leads me to think we're right. Rare is it to find us agree on something."

"Princess Azula, Prince Kuzon," a servant said, approaching, "I'm sorry to disturb you --" she was hesitating and looking worriedly at my aunt. "That's to say, the Fire Lord wished Prince Kuzon's presence in the main hall."

"Ah, yes, the healer must have arrived," Aunt Azula said. "Well, I'll stay here just a bit longer. There are some other words I would like to have before I join you. Go along, Kuzon, enjoy."

I rose from my seat and followed the servant as she took me to the main hall. She whispered to me, excitedly, "Prince Kuzon, though it may be presumptuous for me to speak out of turn, do you think I upset Princess Azula?"

"No," I said. She looked terrified. "Why?"

"Oh, I'd heard, you see, one of the girls in the kitchen said that her mom, she worked here when the Princess was to be Fire Lord, and she was almost exiled for making the baths too hot for her!"

"Oh." I looked pensive. "I don't think she does that anymore, don't worry."

"Thank you, Prince Kuzon."

When we arrived in the main hall, the healer was already being welcomed by my parents. She looked to be younger than I'd anticipated, perhaps only ten years older than myself, but she had a serene feel to her. When she saw me, she spoke some words to my parents before approaching me. "Prince Kuzon, it's an honor to meet you."

"Hello," I said, cordially. I bowed, "I hear you're here to see that I'm all better."

"You seem well enough, but it's good to be certain. Wounds of the spirit are the most dreadful," she said, "Though rare, they do occur. Considering the circumstances, the Fire Lord was wise to send for someone."

"I'm afraid I don't know your name," I said, trying to be polite about it.

"Oh, my manners, where are they? I'm so sorry. Kitta, of the Northern Water Tribe, student of Saya," she said, bowing her head. "Do you mind if we start right away?"

"Not at all," I said. The honest truth was the sooner this was over with, in my opinion, the better. She nodded, and looked to my parents.

"Please tell the Fire Lord we've begun," she said. She turned to a servant, and said, politely, "I was told there was a room prepared for us, if you'd lead us there?" The servant nodded and hurried down the hall, with us behind.

"I heard a little about your mentor."

"Oh, yes," she looked a bit sad, "It's just so tragic, isn't it?"

"I didn't really learn much," I admitted, confusion overtaking me, "I just heard she was a great healer, perhaps the best."

"She was," she said, "And then she was taken from us in that storm. It was such a great loss. But that was years ago. I'm nowhere near Sifu Saya's level of skill, but I you don't quite look like you're at death's door."

"I hope not!" I answered, flustered. She looked at me, and tired her dark brown hair back, and smiled. "What?"

"It's just rather exciting. I never thought I'd be here, serving a prince of the Fire Nation." The servant pointed us to a small room where a small futon was arranged for us, alongside a basin of water.

"Is this to your liking, my lady?" the servant asked.

"Yes! This is perfect, thank you. And thank the Fire Lord for his generosity." She smiled and told me to lay down on the futon. "Now, first, close your eyes and just relax."

I did so, and I heard the sloshing of the water in the basin. Kitta's relaxing voice continued to talk, leading me through what she was doing, "Now, this water may be cold, but relax, and it will feel much better in a moment."

The cold feel of the water on my forehead soon gave way to the warmth of her hand. I heard her grumbling to herself. "Is something wrong?" I asked.

"No," she said, "At least, not something I was expecting." The water moved down my body. "This is most unexpected."

"What is?"

"You're a firebender, yes?" she asked. I said I was, and she just began to sound more concerned, "How much firebending have you done since the night?"

"Only a very little," I said, honestly.

"And you haven't felt like you were fighting to use it?"

"Well," I paused. "Not really. I just lit a flame."

"I see," she said. "Perhaps, you'd show me a small demonstration and tell me how you feel?" She stood up and I opened my eyes. She looked absolutely over her head, and I felt a little sorry for her, but I didn't fully understand what was going on.

"Stand back," I said, "They say I'm a prodigy." I smirked pridefully, and she nodded, and stood back. I began the kata. Every step, I knew by muscle memory, not missing a step. But something felt off. Though my breath control was perfect, the flames seemed too small, and when I tried to make them grow, they refused.

"Is everything all right?"

"No!" I shouted, pushing a very simple burst forward that fizzled. "What's wrong with me? Did sitting in bed a whole week make me suck?"

"No," she said, graciously ignoring my lapse from manners. "What that man did was -- this is impossible. Only the Avatar could do something like this."

"Like what?" I demanded to know.

The girl stuttered, and finally, managed to say, "They say that the Avatar finished the war with a decisive strike, and he sealed Fire Lord Ozai's power with a technique that only he could possibly use."

"My Great-Grandfather," I said, "But he couldn't even bend. I'm just bending like a complete idiot!"

"That's why I'm not sure, but, perhaps he didn't finish," she said, "An incomplete seal would account for your bending. I must speak to the Fire Lord of this."

"But, what do I do? Can't you fix it?"

"I've never encountered something like this. Perhaps if Saya were still alive, she would know more, but the only person alive with that kind of power is the Avatar."

"But, the Avatar?" I managed to sputter out, "That's fine, we can just ask him to come and --"

"It may not be that simple," Kitta said, "I need to speak to the Fire Lord, he should know about this immediately."

* * *

Grandfather was told immediately, like Kitta wanted, and I was called into the audience chamber. It was a bleak and barren room with the flames only dying embers. Kitta spoke to my grandfather in a hushed voice, and looked over when I entered.

"Oh, good," she said, "I'm sorry if I worried you earlier."

"The healer has informed me that the Avatar may be needed to solve this conundrum," he said, sternly. "I see little in the way of alternatives."

"I'm very sorry I couldn't be of more help, Fire Lord Zuko," Kitta said, apologetically. "Like I said, even with water from the Spirit Oasis, I'd be stabbing around in the dark doing more harm than good."

"That is understandable," he answered, coolly. "Do not worry yourself. You've confirmed and assuaged my darkest fears. So, we stopped him too late, but not late enough that he finished what he started."

"Do you really believe this man could be an equal to the Avatar?" Kitta asked, bewildered, "I can't believe that possible."

"No, it isn't," Grandfather said, "There's something more going on here. The Avatar has, of late, become a greater recluse than before. I have sent a letter to him, but I do not expect a response. That is why I wish for you to deliver a message yourself, Kuzon."

"Me?" I asked, bewildered.

"Yes." He looked me over, and nodded, "I will prepare a ship for you to leave as soon as possible. There is no reason to delay."

"I understand," I said.

"This is a great honor, Kuzon," he said to me. "This man targetted me, and I do not think it will stop there. The Avatar must be alerted."

"Of course!" I said, excitedly. Images of adventure and glory filled my head, and I was more than eager to go. "I will leave as soon as we are ready."

I rose, and bowed my head. "Very good, Kuzon," Grandfather said, "I've already had the arrangements made and we should be ready by tomorrow."

Tomorrow -- that seemed almost unreasonably fast. I wondered, briefly, if Grandfather expected this, and was already prepared in advance. I didn't want to say anything, but he noticed me hesitate and told me I was dismissed.

I left the audience chamber and walked into the palace.

Though I wanted to speak to my family and wish them goodbyes, I found myself at the guest chambers and knocking on the door that the servants informed me belonged to Nadesico's room. After a moment, there she was, at the door.

"Kuzon?" she blinked, mystified, "My Prince, what's the matter?"

"Got a minute?" I asked. "I was wondering if you'd like to go for a walk?"

Nadesico looked at me mystified for a moment, and then sputtered out something I didn't understand, before saying, "I mean, of course! I would love to! If I might have a minute first, though?"

"Sure," I said, smiling, "I can wait."

I waited for well over a minute, but I thought it was well worth the wait. "I'm so sorry, that took longer than I thought it would and --"

"It's okay. Come on, let's go. It's a beautiful day to explore the gardens, don't you think?"

"Yes!" she said, happily. It was just past noon, and the sun was hot in the cloudless sky, and it was a clear day with a light breeze. I couldn't think of more perfect weather. Nadesico for her part seemed to enjoy the walk, but I spent most of it contemplating the ground.

"Kuzon," she said, "It's been a good many years since it's been just the two of us."

"Yeah," I said, "I could hardly believe you were the same girl when I first saw you. I mean, you were cute, but I never thought you'd grow up so beautiful back then."

I didn't look up, but I could hear her stutter out a response, a thank you, and heard the swish of her kimono as she bowed her head. "I'm glad you think I'm so."

"Why?" I asked, "I'm just saying what I see."

"Yes, but," she giggled, "It means a lot coming from you. After all, you probably don't remember when we used to play together." She trailed off, and I paused in step.

"Don't remember what?" I asked.

"Silly things," she said, weakly, as if dismissing the whole thing, "Things I made you promise me."

"What things?" I wondered, looking at her. "Nadesico, I know it's been a while, but I still can tell when you're hiding something. You're not very good at it."

"Yes, uh," she stuttered. "Yes, well. I made you promise me something, a long time ago."

"Yes?"

"That you would marry me." She blushed, "It was just a childish promise, but I always treasured it. See, just silly things like that."

"It meant a lot to you," I observed. She nodded. "Then it wasn't very silly to you, was it? I'm sorry, I don't remember making that promise, but, if you'd like, we can make it again." I hesitated, "After all, it may be a little while before we see each other again."

"What do you mean?" she said, taking my arm, "Are you going somewhere?"

"Yes," I answered, "I'm going to find the Avatar and warn him about that man who attacked us."

"You are?" she looked frightened, "You'll be coming back, though."

"Of course," I said, with a smile, "I'm Prince Kuzon of the Fire Nation, nothing is going to stop me from coming back to my home. But, if we make another promise," I continued, "I can make sure that you've got something to treasure until I get back."

"We were to be engaged," she said.

"By a matchmaker," I pointed out. "This way, it's my choice and your choice. So, I promise you we'll be married."

Nadesico's face lit up so bright, even though she seemed a little bit fearful, "It's a promise, Kuzon."

_To be continued._


	3. The South Pole

_**Spirits Like White Lightning**_

_By Iain R. Lewis_

_Disclaimer: Avatar belongs to Nickelodeon._

**Chapter 3: **_The South Pole  
_

I slept well that night, with dreams of glory and adventure filling my head. It wasn't until morning that reality set in. As I dried myself from my bath, I realized what I would be leaving behind to travel the world. The luxury and comfort of the palace was one thing I couldn't bring with me, and I suddenly felt very nervous.

I'd spent the evening with my parents, who helped me pack for my trip. Basic necessities, traveling clothes and some small bits of home comfort. I was to take a ship to the South Pole and from there, I would be lent a balloon to travel to the Southern Air Temple, where the Avatar made his home.

I'd heard that the poles were cold, and even with Mom packing me a warm coat to help protect me from the chill, I was still a little nervous. I wasn't quite as strong a firebender, at least at the moment, as I was usually.

Also, a meeting with the Great Chief was something I wasn't exactly looking forward to. It would probably be unnecessary, but when I joined the breakfast table, Grandfather brought it up. "The Great Chief will be expecting you in a few days. I sent ahead a message to him to prepare for your arrival."

"Oh, great," I murmured.

"Kuzon," Dad said, looking up, "Are you sure you're all right with this? It's not too late to stay here?"

A piece of me relished the chance to escape from this task, but another, much stronger part of me rebelled at the very idea of turning my back on a challenge. Perhaps more enthusiastically than I felt, I said, "No, I'm ready."

And Grandfather nodded.

"Kuzon's really leaving?" the twins intoned, gloomily.

"I'm afraid so," Uncle Lu Ten said. "A real, honest-to-goodness adventure. I'm sure your grandfather has a tip or two about traveling the world. After all, the stories of your time living in the Earth Kingdom are practically legendary, right, father?"

Grandfather raised his head and looked at Uncle with a cold glance. "Perhaps. The circumstances are too different, though."

"No, I'd be honored if you would give me some advice," I said. If there was any reason to undergo this journey, it was to be closer to my grandfather. The legends of his adventures were the stories I grew up on, stories of harrowing adventures, stealth, guile and cunning as well as extraordinary shows of strength.

"Ah," Grandfather said, "Always carry a change of clothes with you, and always make sure the berries you find are edible."

I paused, and nodded, slowly, "Thank you, Grandfather." It really wasn't what I expected. But I couldn't just outright say that. He was smiling, which was a rare enough show from him, and he seemed even a little brighter than he did last night.

"Where is Aunt Azula?" Dad wondered, looking around. "I thought she was staying a little longer."

"She's getting packed," Mom said, "She said something just came up and she was eager to go."

"Can we go, too?" the twins asked, and I suddenly got fearful. Uncle Lu Ten looked at them, shaking his head.

"You're still a little young to go gallavanting across the world, you two." Uncle then smiled, "Perhaps when you're a little older."

The twins looked sourly over at me. "Not that much older," they were muttering, in perfect unison, even though the only one who could even hear them at all was me.

"Have you said goodbyes to your friends, Kuzon?" Mom asked me, and I looked over. I'd spoken to Nadesico, but I hadn't yet had a chance to sit down and talk to Daisuke about it. "You only have a few hours before you need to go."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," I said, "I'm sorry, I need to speak to Daisuke before I go, Grandfather."

"Indeed," the old man smiled at me, and nodded, "Take all the time you need."

Finding Daisuke turned out to be more difficult than I'd anticipated. I searched through the guest rooms, and finding him not in his room, was forced to search high and low through the palace. It took three servants to finally track him down. He was on his way back to his room when we caught him.

When we did find him, he seemed surprised, "You actually going?" he asked, a tad bitterly, I thought. "Wow, just off and leaving like that. Guess it's good to be the prince."

"Daisuke," I started to say, but he cut me off.

"It's fine," he said, "I get it. You know, I could come along, if you need me. I'm pretty handy with a sword."

"I don't think that's a good idea," I said. "It's not exactly like I'm going to be gone long. It's just a simple errand."

"You don't sound enthused."

"I was enthused," I said.

"Was."

"Yeah," I hesitated. "It's kind of a pain, though. Leaving the Fire Nation -- I've never left the Fire Nation before."

"You'll be fine, idiot." Daisuke rolled his eyes.

"All right," I said. He seemed upset, but Daisuke was being surprisingly quiet about it. "I'll probably be gone a week or two at most. Once the Avatar knows about this guy, I'll head home and everything will go back to normal."

"Yeah, maybe," Daisuke answered.

"You don't like this, huh?"

Daisuke gave me a look that told me I was pretty far off the mark. "It's not this I don't like, it's just that guy's still out there, and who knows when he's going to come back? Something doesn't add up, Kuzon, and I don't like it."

"What do you mean?" I was honestly at a loss. Daisuke's concern, which is what I was certain he was trying to show now, was touching, but I couldn't feel that it was anything but misplaced. "I don't think he's going to come back to finish the job, Daisuke."

"I know that, I know that!" he said, frustrated, "It's just a gut feeling, something instinctual. I don't think this is a good idea."

"Okay, so what do I do, say my best friend thinks this may not be such a good idea, so how about we do something else?"

"No," he said. He looked really serious and it was a bit off-putting. He rubbed his head and just shook his head, "Guess there's nothing for it, but keep in touch, okay? If something gets out of hand --"

"You'll come running?"

"Well, yeah!" he said, "You're going to need me if things go south."

"Things won't go south," I answered.

"You say that now. Look, take care of yourself, out there."

"I will."

I looked at a loss, and I think he saw that. He started to laugh, uproariously, "Wow, you fell for it, hook, line, and sinker, didn't you? Man, you're so gullible. 'I've got a bad feeling about this,' that's all it took!"

"You were joking?" I shouted, angrily. That unease I felt disappeared as the anger welled up inside me, "That's not funny, Daisuke!"

"Yes, yes it is!"

"Great, I just wasted my time," I said, smoldering with rage. I turned and started to go when he called my name. "What is it now?"

"Just wanted to say good luck, you know?" he said.

"Oh," I stuttered, "Thanks, Daisuke."

Daisuke nodded to me, and left in the direction of his room. I sighed, and hurried myself back to my own room. The time I'd spent searching for him left me with very little time until my departure and my anxiety was only now starting to reach a boil.

To be honest, the unease that Daisuke managed to instill in me wasn't completely gone, and his wishing me luck did nothing but aggravate it. I wasn't certain what to make of him, if he was joking or if he'd only done that for my sake, but I couldn't quite sort that out.

My things were already taken to be loaded onto the ship, but there was one last object I wanted to bring. It was an old broad sword I kept and practices with. The stories of my grandfather's abilities with the Dao swords made me want to master the art as well, and while I wasn't quite able to get the hang of the twin blades, a single blade I'd actually taken to quite well.

The one I had was probably mostly decorative, but it cut grass well enough, so it was, by my standards, good enough. With my bending being in the state it was, I didn't want to be completely defenseless if it came down to that.

So I placed it in its sheath and prepared to leave behind my home of sixteen years.

* * *

The docks were absolutely impossibly filled with people. I don't know what was the big idea, but I was suddenly feeling a bit shy. I knew I should be used to crowds, being born into the royal family like I was, but it was hard to get used to the sheer size that we drew. Everyone was eager to get a glimpse of their young prince, and I'm not afraid to say that made me feel uncomfortable.

I was awkward at sixteen, I hit a growth spurt but I looked a bit gangly and skinny, and it bugged me to have people look at me. I kept adjusting my top-knot to make sure it wasn't out of place, but the fact was, it was probably a nervous compulsion.

My mother put a hand on my wrist, stopping me after I went to adjust it for the third time since we arrived. Grandfather was addressing the crowds, but I wasn't paying attention to what he was saying, only the sound of the crowds seemed to grab my notice. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked, not for the first time since we left.

"I told you, yes," Mom said, "Now sit up straight, you look very dashing except for that slouch."

I slouched further, just to spite her. "I mean, couldn't any servant do this?"

"No," Dad said, smiling, "Kuzon, I know you're nervous, but it's going to be fine. Your uncle handpicked these men, they're the finest sailors in the navy, and the Great Chief is a good friend, he will make sure you arrive safely."

"I know that, it's just," I paused, "It's going to be cold."

"So?" Dad laughed, "You're a firebender. Make your own heat."

"Roku." Mom's glower was enough to chill the room.

"Oh, yes, right," Dad said, stuttering. I looked as nonplussed as I could, but with my bending in its current shape, I didn't want to be reminded of it. "Anyway, you'll be all right, Kuzon. After all, you take after your old man."

"Thanks, Dad," I said. I sighed, heavily.

"Wave to the good people, everyone," Mom said in a hushed hiss. I looked to see the crowd cheering, at me, directly. This was not how I imagined my send-off to be like. I waved, nervously, and I realized the dock to the ship was waiting. I really wished right then that I'd been paying attention.

"Go on, then," Dad said, "Make us proud, Kuzon."

"Be careful," Mom said.

I walked down the dock, passing by the sailors who stood at attention in their dress uniforms. Everything looked so official, especially for a simple message delivery. As I finally prepared to board the ship, I noticed a commotion forming behind me.

"What's going on?" I asked the captain, as I stepped onto the deck.

"I don't know, my prince," he said. He was a middle aged man with a certain calming quality to him. His mustache and hair were both slightly flecked by gray. "You there, see what's going on."

"Aye aye, sir!"

The sailor went to check on the disturbance as I started to get used to the constant bobbing of the ship. It wasn't horribly noticeable, but it did throw off my balance just slightly. "Strange," the captain said. He turned to face the bridge, and barked, "Prepare to set sail at a moment's notice!"

"Aye aye, sir!"

"This could be some manner of trouble, my prince," the captain said. "I think it may be safer below deck."

"No, I don't think that's necessary," I said, looking out at the commotion. It was getting closer. Sailors were desperately trying to stop someone, but there wasn't, as far as I could see, any aggression. An old woman with a servant girl by her side carrying a large assortment of luggage refused to listen to them. "I know that woman."

"Hello! Kuzon!" the old lady called.

"Auntie?" I blinked. Aunt Azula waved back, "What are you doing?"

"Coming along, of course," she said, "I thought to myself, Azula, you know your nephew could use some wizened advice on his trip, and besides, I had business in the Earth Kingdom. You can stop by Ba Sing Se and drop me off when you're done, can't you?"

"I don't think --" I sighed, looking to the Captain, "I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't mind me," Aunt Azula said, to the captain, "I'm sure a dashing captain such as yourself would have no trouble with one more on board."

"It is up to you, my prince," the Captain said. "It wouldn't be any trouble."

"All right, as long as it's no trouble," I said.

"Men, help the lady get her things aboard, will you?" the Captain barked out. The sailors took the luggage from the servant girl in a resigned fashion, and Aunt Azula bounded up to the deck with a spritely bounce.

"Wonderful, thank you ever so much, Kuzon, you're too kind to your old Auntie."

"Why are you acting like that --" I began, but she cut me off without even acknowledging me.

"What a fine ship, what's her name?" she wondered. The Captain beamed in pride.

"The Western Dragon," he said, quite happily, "I'd be glad to give you a tour, my lady, as soon as we're under way."

"That would be wonderful, thank you. Until then, won't someone show an old lady to her quarters? You there, you know your way around, yes? Well, get to it, I need to soak these old feet."

I just couldn't figure it out. Aunt Azula was acting strangely, that was for certain, but she wouldn't tell me what was going on. Regardless, I looked back to the dock, and saw the crowds eagerly waiting the ship getting under way. "Are we ready?"

"All of our guests are accounted for," the captain said.

"All of them?" I wondered.

"Yourself, the healer from the North Pole, and your Aunt," the captain said.

"All right, then, let's shove off."

"Right you are, my prince," he said, "Let's get underway." He left to man the bridge, and I stared off the port side of the ship.

With a great fanfare, the Western Dragon left its dock and began to make its way to sea. I cast one last look to the Fire Nation. I watched as she grew smaller and smaller as the ship went further out to sea.

I wouldn't show any weakness, no signs of homesickness, though in truth I already missed the comforts of home. The captain remained on the bridge, and only a few people remained on the deck, most of them busy with their tasks, so I headed below deck.

The Western Dragon, I learned from speaking with some of the crew, was a decommissioned war vessel made about twenty years ago. Many of the old warships were scrapped following the war as part of many a peace treaty, and these new ones were built as a means of defending the Fire Nation.

The weaponry was gone, and much of the interior was renovated to be more comfortable than just a simple naval vessel, and it was used often times for the Fire Lord's personal travels. It explained how Grandfather was so quick on getting things squared away.

The crew was nice enough, but I really didn't speak much to them. I asked them directions to my quarters, and though they gave pretty good ones by my estimate, I got lost very quickly. Wandering the labyrinthine hallways, I found myself bumping into Kitta. The Waterbender looked surprised to see me, and apologized quickly, "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."

"That's all right," I said, quietly. She looked me over, and smiled. "What is it?"

"You look a bit seasick," she commented. I didn't feel seasick, but the constant bobbing was starting to wear thin on my nerves. "I know a couple remedies for that, if you'd like to hear them."

"No, that's okay," I answered, "I feel fine."

"Well, another time, then," she said. "Is this your ship?"

"My grandfather's, I think," I said.

"He's a very lucky man," she said. "It was kind of him to allow me to come along to the South Pole with you."

"You're just going to the pole?"

"Yes, it's quite a sight," she said, "The way my sifu tells it, it used to be a few melty huts and a wall not fit for a snowball war, and now, it's the capital of the Water Tribe, a monument to our power and strength."

"Your master, but --"

"Well, Sifu Saya passed before she could finish my training, and Saya's mother was kind enough to take up my training. She's quite good, if a little self-taught," she said. "Still, it's interesting when she goes on a lecture of, 'What to do when you have someone dumb catch their fingers on fish hooks,' in a whole bluster."

"She sounds interesting," I said. "She's from the South?"

"Yes, she is, actually," she said. "It's a great honor."

I nodded, absently. "Have you seen my quarters around here?"

"Are you lost, Prince Kuzon?" she wondered, "Oh, and here I am just talking away."

"No, it's all right." I said, politely, when in fact all I wanted to do was lie down. "Did you see them?"

"Yes, the quarters are just down this hall to the left," she said. "I suppose we'll have plenty of time to chat later. This trip may take a little time."

"I'd like to hear a bit more about the south after I get settled," I said.

"I'd be happy to tell you what I know," she answered with a smile.

* * *

Once I was more acquainted with the ship, navigating the passages seemed to be much less troublesome, and I even began to grow accustomed to the bobbing of the ocean beneath us. The engine propelling us forward sounded a solid hum that rattled through the steel frame. It was almost comforting.

My room was lit by a small lamp on a desk, where scrolls and parchments, filled with nautical charts and maps of the four nations, were stored. My bed looked fairly comfortable for one on sea, and I was quickly becoming acclimated to sea travel.

I had to admit, once I was finally over my initial nausea, going up to the deck and watching the water pass by, sliced open by the bow and cresting behind us. The water was pure and green and churned about as the watercrest settled, bubbling behind us.

I found Aunt Azula sitting on the deck, a cup of tea in her hands, and her eyes set on a distant point in the horizon. I approached her slowly, calling out to her as I did so as to not surprise her, but she did not respond. "Aunt Azula?" I said, quietly, standing besides her. "Are you okay?"

The old woman jumped, and looked at me, her face pale, "Kuzon, it's only you," she whispered. "For a moment I was far, far away."

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you," I said, anxiously. The look in her eye was hardened swiftly, but for just a precious moment, before she fully had control, I could see a look that I'd hazard was fearful. "I just haven't had a chance to talk to you since we cast off."

"No, we haven't had a chance, had we," she said, her voice still distant, "By the Spirits, you're the image of your grandfather."

I'd heard that I took after my mother, actually, so it was a bit strange to hear that. I'd seen portraits of Grandfather when he first was coronated. He was strong, self-assured, everything I tried to make myself. The Twins took great pains to remind me that the effort made me look like a very soggy kitten.

"Why did you decide to come?" I asked,

"Why not?" she said, "Do you not want to spend time with your Auntie?"

"And why are you acting so strange around everyone?" I wondered, looking at her suspiciously, "This is a con, isn't it. You're going to somehow extort everyone's salaries from them, aren't you?"

"Why, Kuzon, you know I'd never do that!" she said, "They're on a military salary, I'd have better luck with a merchant."

"So?"

"Which do you want the answer to first?" she smiled, enigmatic and smug.

"Either will do," I shrugged. I didn't really care, I just wanted to have some better idea what my aunt was up to. She had a tendency, though I often overlooked it, to be a little, well, the word I think fits best is evil. She would terrorize the staff of her tea house with arbitraty decisions and once made her entire staff go home to change because she decided that today no one would wear green in the tea house.

It took most of them a day to notice that she'd been in her green dress the very same day, but she couldn't be blamed for their lack of attention to detail.

Still, as she thought how to answer, it all seemed almost innocent, the mischief of an old woman who was perhaps a little stifled by her lot in life. "To answer your first question, I came because I thought you'd be happier with someone you knew on board. I won't get in the way of your big adventure, of course, but I would like to see it. If that's not to your liking, I can disembark in the Earth Kingdom and find a nice traveling company to help me take all of my heavy bags home for me."

"No, it's all right," I said, feeling a bit guilty, "I just didn't think you'd want to come along."

"And why not?" she asked. She cut me off before I could answer, snorting, "As to your second question, people expect old ladies to be silly and frivolous, why not play to their expectations and let them learn just a little too late that I'd been keeping the winning Pai Sho tiles up my sleeve." She smiled. "People expect things, Kuzon, give them that, and they'll be content."

I didn't even remotely understand what she was talking about. It seemed to me that Aunt Azula had a solution for every situation she wasn't in.

"Ah, it is so good to be out at sea again," she said, with a deep breath, "The sea air brings back memories."

"Yes?"

"Did I ever tell you the time I nearly arrested your grandfather as a traitor?"

"Yes."

"Ah, that was a good story," she said, contentedly. I didn't much care for it. Aunt Azula had no qualms about telling me about who she used to be, but who she was, that was something she veiled deeply.

"The Western Dragon, that's named after your uncle, isn't it?"

"Yes," she said, quietly. "He was a very strange man."

"He and Grandfather were very close, right?" I asked. "They must have been, traveling together for so long."

"Yes, quite close," she said. "He would always speak of him so highly, so proudly, like he was speaking of his own son."

"Did you know him very well?" I wondered. "I mean, I never met him --"

"I knew him," she said, "I knew him for a fool, and yet, here I am, the same old fool he was. Yes, this is irony." She paused, and looked at me. It was a strange glance, like she was looking at someone else at the same time. "Zuzu must have laughed all the way back to the palace, once he realized what I was doing. Knowing him, he might not have figured it out, yet."

She took one more breath of sea air, and hobbled away.

"Come along, Prince Kuzon," she said, "Too much sea air can be a bad thing, you know. And it's just about time for another cup of tea. How nice."

* * *

I passed Kitta in the hall every once in a while, be we never really spent much time to talk. It wasn't until a few days later, as we grew closer to the south, and the air turned cold enough to show our breath.

The interior of the ship was warmed by engine furnace, but it still was much more uncomfortable. Hot tea gave a little bit of tangible warmth, and so I was enjoying some with Aunt Azula when Kitta joined us at my Aunt's invitation.

The healer looked at Aunt Azula for a long while, and looked very suspiciously at her tea. "I've heard of you," she said, "The Mad Fire Lord, Azula."

"Oh, pish posh, I'm just a simple peddler of tea nowadays, my dear," she said, waving away the title without batting an eye. "In fact, that's the same kettle as I'm drinking, and so is the young prince. It isn't poisoned. If it was, Kuzon would already be dead."

I paused and looked at the tea suspiciously. "Aunt Azula, please don't talk so casually about such things," I begged, but the thought was already worming its way through my head and I was starting to wonder what it felt like when your liver failed.

If I showed any discomfort, Kitta didn't see it, and sipped, gingerly, from the cup offered to her. "Thank you, again, Prince Kuzon. Your ship has been most accomodating. It's such a far cry from the Water Tribe ships."

"Well, yes," Aunt Azula said, "We need some form of propulsion that doesn't involve the air or water, or else we'd be in a bit of a spot if the winds ever went against us."

"I suppose," Kitta said, "I'm not complaining. It's fascinating, but I'd heard the stories of the siege and of what happened to the South during the war."

Aunt Azula's expression turned unreadable, "Yes, the siege was a disaster for both sides, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Kitta agreed, "But that was years ago. Some of the older members of the tribe still hold the grudge, though. I can't imagine why, these ships are incredible.."

"How about your master? She always did hold a grudge."

"Well, yes," Kitta said, absolutely bewildered, "Did you know my master, by any chance?"

"Oh, did I say something?" Aunt Azula said, playing dumb in a brilliant fashion. I had to hold back a chortle by hiding my mouth behind my cup. "I'm sorry, this old brain keeps playing tricks on me."

"Oh, I guess not," Kitta said. "Anyhow, we're coming to the South Pole, it won't be long now before we see the great city itself, and from there, we'll be parting company."

"What is the South like?" I wondered.

"It's a very advanced city. Waterbending only accounts for the outer limits of the city. The Great Chief insisted on something more permanent within, and he's something of an inventor, you see."

"Great Chief Sokka," Aunt Azula murmured, "What an amusing title."

"Well, once the tribes became unified, we needed someone who was a strong voice for our people and, well, both sides could agree on Sokka as the Great Chief. It took him by surprise, I'm told."

"I can only imagine," Aunt Azula smirked.

"Well, let me think. The South Pole is a thriving city, not unlike your capital," she said, "Many veterans of the war returned to their home in the South to find it transformed by the benders from the North, who in turn decided to stay. In fact, the great Master Pakku even decided to stay following the taking of Ba Sing Se."

"Ah, yes, that pesky incident," Aunt Azula muttered, "Waste of a perfectly good invasion, if you ask me."

Kitta didn't ask her, and I think I was the only one who heard her. "Anyhow, the rebuilding of the South took much longer than many expected, going well on a decade after the war was over. Once it was over, though, the city was incredible."

I'd studied a map of the South Pole that was relatively recent. It extended into the dangerous icebergs that littered the sea and made me glad I wasn't on the bridge right that very moment. "I've only been once or twice, when my sifu had to come down here," she said, "But that's rare, since she tries to avoid it. I remember coming with Saya when I just began my apprenticeship, the city was in the middle of the long nights, and, it was amazing. The light never seemed to dim inside the city."

She closed her eyes, "Waterbenders could create passages anywhere in the city, and you could see almost the entire tundra from the great hall. And then there's the old Fire Nation ship. It was turned into a kind of monument, you see."

"That's the one that signaled my grandfather's ship, wasn't it?" I looked up.

"Yes," she said, "I visited it the first time I was here. It was quite an experience. So claustrophobic, though."

"Yes, those old ships did have rather narrow passages," Aunt Azula commented, smiling absently straight ahead.

"It's a pity I won't have time to sight-see," I said. I made a note of it, though, that once I found time, maybe I could visit with Nadesico. I thought she might like to see the city lit up in the long nights that came at the pole. "Maybe sometime."

"I think you should, Prince Kuzon. But you do have your duty to do," she said. "That does remind me. Since you're going to the Southern Air Temple, would you do me a small favor. My sifu asked me to deliver a message to the Avatar's disciple."

"Disciple? I wasn't aware he had one," I heard Aunt Azula say, leaning her head just slightly to face Kitta.

"Oh, you weren't?"

"The Avatar doesn't speak much to anyone," Aunt Azula said, quietly, "Strange, I would have thought if there was a chance of rebuilding his people's culture, he wouldn't shut up about it."

"I'm sorry," Kitta said, "I don't really feel it's my place to say much. Just, would you please deliver a message to her?"

"I guess I could," I said, "It shouldn't be a problem."

"Thank you, so much. I'll make sure to get it to you by the time we arrive at the South Pole."

* * *

I had no idea what I was getting into, agreeing to deliver that message. It was a small scroll, sealed, and addressed to someone named Ananya. It was an unusual name, and not from any culture I was particularly familiar with, but I reasoned that it would be an Air Nomad name.

Kitta handed it to me just moments before we arrived at the South Pole, an arrival that was heralded by a large wave striking our ship and knocking everyone and everything from its place. "What was that?" I shouted, angrily as I was pressed up against the wall.

"No worries, Prince Kuzon," I heard the Captain say, hurrying towards the bridge, "This always happens."

That did not allay my fears one bit, and I followed after him, leaving a confused Kitta to scurry to her feet behind me. "I don't think that's a satisfactory response, Captain."

"Oh, it's just old Mahaki, up to his usual tricks," the Captain answered. "I'll get him one back." When we entered the bridge, the crew seemed particularly on edge. "Status report?"

"Everything's wet, sir," one of the sailors, whose position I neither knew nor understood, said.

"Excellent. Get the Bending Unit to return fire."

"Aye aye, sir."

I watched mystified as the order was sent and the plumes of fire shot just short of the old Water Tribe ship off our starboard side. "That ought to show him," the Captain said, happily. "Brings us closer, so we can speak to the old devil face to face."

It looked like the dance had reached its conclusion, thankfully, when the two ships came side by side, and the plank was lowered for the Water Tribe man to come across. We were on the deck to welcome him. He looked like an old wolf, fierce and grizzled, with scars littering his face. The armor had seen its share of battles, as well, and would hardly have passed by Fire Nation standards.

"Mahaki, you old son of a gun."

"Azuki," Mahaki said, smirking, "We meet again on the field of battle."

"Unfortunately, have to cut it a bit short. We're carrying the Prince to the city."

"Oh, you got stuck with that duty, I see," Mahaki said, looking at me with a critical glance. "Yes, I see the resemblence. Welcome to the South Pole, Prince Kuzon, I hope our theatrics didn't upset you too much."

"Not at all," I said, "Exciting, really."

"You look a bit pale," he said, "I take it Azuki forgot to mention our old ritual. Our fathers started it during the war, when they kept fighting battle after battle with each other. Never did beat my old man, did he, Azuki?"

"He got in a few good shots. It's not like you managed to dent our ship at all."

"I recall a piece of ice was lodged in its hull for a day, once."

"I'm afraid we don't have time to reminisce," I said, a bit more impatiently than I'd intended, but I wasn't certain I was liking this idea of Water Tribe hospitality."

"Well, yes, guess that's right," Captain Azuki said, "Do we have permission?"

"I've sent out the message that you've arrived, Azuki, the gates of the great South Pole are open to you, my friends. I think the Prince will fare better with a bit less excitement, yes, Azuki?"

"Most definitely," the Captain said, smirking at me. "All right men, prepare to approach the South Pole."

I looked forward as the Water Tribe ship sailed off ahead of ours and into the trench cut between two massive icebergs. It was a narrow passage, and at its end, I could see it open up into a large bay. The walls were just beyond, and they were high, blindingly white, and shimmered just so as we moved closer to it.

"Welcome to the South Pole, Prince Kuzon," the captain said to me, smiling, "Not a more impressive sight to be seen, for certain. Waterbender ingenuity, that's what it's all about."

"Surprising from a Fire Nation captain," I said.

"Well, life isn't quite so clearly divided anymore," Azuki said, "Mahaki's probably the closest thing I've got to a brother, and he's Water Tribe born and raised here in the South."

"I see."

"Nothing wrong with a healthy admiration, is there?" he said, smirking. "Those Waterbenders are itching to open the gate. Keep her steady as she goes," he shouted up as he ran up the stairs to the bridge.

I stayed on the deck, watching with amazement as the ice that formed the gate dissolved into the water beneath, sending a wave of that pushed us backwards slightly, and gently rocked the ships in the bay. The men at the top moved in rhythm with the bob of the ocean. The wall they stood on, at first glance was white and blue, ice and snow, but on closer inspection, I could see carvings and inscriptions made beneath the outer layer, protected and obscured.

My eyes were drawn to the great hall in the distance as we came into the inner bay, and prepared to dock. The city was built on the shore, and stretched into the tundra itself. I could see, people watching us as we docked, some of the older men and women with a barely disguised horror.

At the end of the dock, I could see people, dressed in finer furs than Mahaki had been wearing, and I assumed these were here as our welcome. There was only a few of them, but when they saw me staring at them, they stared right back.

I didn't feel incredibly welcomed.

* * *

The man who led our welcome party gave us a very curt welcome. He was taller than I was, and a good deal older. He was named Baku and he was not very pleasant at all. "Kitta of the Northern Tribe, welcome to the South Pole," he said very curtly to Kitta as she left the ship. "Prince Kuzon," and the way he said prince made me feel kind of like a bull toad, "The Great Chief is expecting you. This way, please."

"Now hold up, there, sonny," Aunt Azula said, and I paled out of sheer embarrassment. She could not be carrying on that ruse, could she? "This old woman needs a few minutes to get her land legs back. Think I can lean on one of your nice soldier boys there to make sure I don't slip and hurt myself. These old bones are pretty brittle, if you know what I mean."

"If it will speed this trip along, then, fine," Baku said, nodding to one of his men. The man reluctantly provided himself as a crutch to my Aunt, who I knew had to be lying. She wrapped her arm around his and smirked.

"Much obliged, dearie."

Kitta followed us to the Great Hall, and I wish she hadn't. My Aunt would not be silent, asking the poor soldier who was escorting her questions about his personal life, and whether or not he was married to a nice girl.

I discovered much more about that young man, his wife, and their three children than I ever imagined I would in that seemingly unending twenty minutes.

When we came upon the Great Hall, and a massive building it was, to be certain, Baku dismissed the guards, and said, "The Great Chief will see you as soon as he is ready. Please do not wander around the city while you wait, it will unnerve some of our citizens."

"Wouldn't dream of unnerving anyone, sonny," Aunt Azula said.

"See that you don't," he answered, coldly. And then he was gone. I looked around the Great Hall and sighed.

"Why did you have to make him even more mad?"

"Because I know his daddy," she said, "And he hates it when he's being a sourpuss like that. I mean, really, the nerve of that boy! No wonder he didn't get married until he was thirty."

"That's not very polite, Auntie," I said, a bit tiredly. It was Kitta's laughter that took me most by surprise.

"Everyone thinks it, even my Sifu," Kitta said between her giggling fits. "I remember what she said upon receiving the invitation to the wedding."

"Which was?" Aunt Azula said, interest piqued.

"And I quote, 'That poor girl.'" She laughed, "It was the first time in years Sifu Katara came here, though."

"Your Master is --"

"Oh, did I not mention it?" Kitta asked, pleasantly. I wondered if she was always this absent-minded quite bitterly. "Why else do you think I was personally recommended to the Fire Lord?"

"You know Katara -- the hero from the war?"

"Well, yes --"

"My, do you think it's going to be some time, Kitta?" Aunt Azula asked. "These halls are a bit too chilly for these old bones, you know."

I bit back a comment, but Kitta didn't seem to notice my aunt's behavior for anything other than normal for the old woman. "Well, the Great Chief will probably make you a priority, but still, standing in the middle of the hall is going to just invite a cold."

I let the healer take my aunt to one of the rooms, while I wandered off around to look around. I heard stories of buildings made completely out of ice and snow like we'd build one from stone and wood, but this blew away my expectations. The hall was so tall, and the echoes carried around the whole building.

One such echo was followed by many more echoes.

They seemed to be rather angry, and I turned to see what the commotion was. Someone was leading a pack of teenagers -- somewhat soaked teenagers a little younger than myself -- through the hall, and they were fast, faster than I'd ever seen anyone run.

That person grabbed me, and darted behind me, pushing me into the path of the incoming mob and dashing down one of the passages deeper into the hall. I stumbled and collided with the lead boy, who shouted angrily at me.

"Sorry," I managed to grunt.

"Watch it!" he shouted. "Where'd she go?"

"I don't know," I answered. I was impressed they managed to keep up, considering the girl moved fast enough to catch me off guard. It didn't seem to make them any happier.

"What's the big idea?" the leader -- and most soaked -- asked me, pointing a finger.

"Shouldn't you dry off?" I answered, pushing his finger away, angrily. "You'll freeze like that."

The bluest looking one of the group urged him to listen to me, "Come on, Hakka, let's just get going home. It's not like she can go far, right?"

"Yeah, yeah." He sneered at me, "And outsiders should show some respect."

I just looked at him levelly, and thought about the numbers of ways I'd like to retort. I bit back any response. I had to remain perfectly calm and sensible or I'd make a fool of the Fire Nation and I really didn't want to explain to my grandfather why the Water Tribe kicked me out.

"What? You forget how to talk?" he asked, and I raised an eyebrow.

"I don't have anything more to say," I said. "Goodbye."

"Yeah, you better run," I heard him mutter as I turned around. They left in a hurry, leaving only the lingering stench of their soaked furs. I continued looking up at the architecture and noticed something was up there.

I blinked, unsure if I could believe my eyes.

There was that girl, clinging to the ceiling. She looked at me, I looked at her. And she blinked. I closed my eyes and looked away, not wanting to even think about how she climbed up there. It wasn't any of my business, so I just decided to leave it alone.

The girl had other plans.

I didn't know how she got down so quickly, but there she was.

My first impression of her was that she was actually tiny. She stood maybe at eye level with my chest, and I wasn't particularly tall. She looked up at me with these glimmering silver eyes. You could almost see the cogs turning in her head as she studied my face carefully. "Thanks," she said, at last.

Bowing her head, her black hair bobbed forward. It was cut short, almost boy length, and her forehead seemed to extend further back than most hairlines I'd seen. She didn't have the darker skin tone of a Water Tribe girl, but there was something undeniably Water Tribe about her, and her winter furs seemed to be a comfortable fit.

Realizing I was probably staring, I sputtered, "For what?"

"Getting rid of those doofuses," she said, If she noticed my stares, she didn't mention it, "They followed me all the way from the bay."

I nodded.

"Sorry about shoving you into them like that, but it was kind of a do or die moment. Hope you're not too scuffed up. They were big kids, weren't they?"

I shrugged. It wasn't that I didn't want to have a conversation, it's just that I couldn't think of what to say. I didn't particularly want to know why they were following her, or what she had to do to evade them for so long.

"Okay, so I pushed one of them into the water. Not my fault. They can't prove it, anyway," she said, shiftily. I didn't respond and she surveyed me very quickly, before saying, "You don't talk much, do you?"

"Ah," I managed to say before she cut me off.

"That's fine by me, terrific listener, right? Great! So, do you think you can cover for me if those guys came back. Say I'm visiting family right now and they'd be really unhappy if their dear sweet cousin were to be accosted by strange boys!"

"That's a lie, isn't it?"

"Not entirely!" the girl said. "Really, it's more of a half-truth."

"I doubt they'll be back before I leave."

"Well, that's okay," she said, "That way, there's no witnesses. I get off the hook and you don't have to lie and we're all happy."

I said, "Goodbye."

She said, "Hello."

"That's not --"

"My name's Ananya, and yours?"

"Kuzon," I muttered. "Nice to meet you."

"Kuzon, huh? My grandpa knew a Kuzon!" she said, happily. "So what brings you here, my good hotman?"

"Hotman?"

"That's what they call people in the Fire Nation, right?" she asked.

"I think your information's out of date," I grumbled.

"I guess so. Okay, my good hotman," she said, undeterred, "What's the story? I mean, you can't be in the Great Hall for no reason, right? Not exactly a big tourist spot, either. Hey, if you're looking for a tourist spot, we could go to the War Memorial. I hear there are still some traps in that ship that are just dying to be set off."

"I don't have time," I said, "I'm here to see the Great Chief."

"Oh, Uncle Sokka?" she said. "Oh, he's kind of busy, so you're going to be here a while. See? You got plenty of time!"

"Wait a minute," I said. "Ananya?"

"Yes?"

"The Avatar's Disciple, Ananya?"

"Yes?" she smiled at me brightly. "Have we met? I'm sure I'd remember you."

"I have a message from a woman named Kitta," I said. The change in her sunny disposition was immediate. A mixture of anxiety and anticipation welled up in her eyes, but the rest of her face was set in a nasty scowl.

"Oh. Her."

I took the scroll and handed it to her. "Well, that was sooner than I expected."

"Why would she give you a message?" she asked, swiping it from my hand.

"I was on my way to the Southern Air Temple," I said, "We were told to ask for permission from the Great Chief to borrow one of their balloons."

"Well, yeah, fine," she grumbled, opening the letter. Her eyes softened as she read it. "Oh, it's from Gran Gran! Thank you so much, Kuzon!"

"It was nothing. Goodbye," I said.

"Hey, wait up!" she said, following after me. "Why are you going to the Air Temple? There's nobody there right now, you know that, right?" I paused, stopping so suddenly that Ananya bumped right into my back. She grumbled as she rubbed her rear. "What was that for?"

"What do you mean there's no one there?"

"No one's there but my lemur, and she can fend for herself," she said.

"Where is the Avatar?"

"I don't know," she said. The look she gave me. I tried to figure if she was sizing me up, or glaring at me suspiciously. What had caused that sudden shift in attitude? "Who's asking?"

"Prince Kuzon of the Fire Nation," I said. "I bear a message from the Fire Lord."

"Oh, you do?" she asked. She bit her lip, and she drawled out, "Maybe I know where he is."

Of course! She was his disciple, there was no way he'd leave without telling her where he was going. "Then you can help me find him?"

"That depends," she said, "I'll have to ask Uncle Sokka."

"My, it looks like Kuzon's made a little friend, Kitta," Aunt Azula said, approaching, and I saw Ananya's expression shift again. "Are you going to introduce us, sonny?"

"No need," Ananya said. "Hi Kitta."

"Ananya, it's been years!" Kitta answered, happily, "What are you doing all the way in the South Pole."

"None of your business," she mumbled out, looking away.

"Hello, Ananya," Aunt Azula said.

"Hi."

"This is my aunt," I said, "Well, great-aunt, really."

"Oh."

"What's with the sour face, Ananya. Aren't you happy to see me?" Kitta asked. She whispered conspiratorially to Aunt Azula, but I couldn't quite make out what she said.

"Oh, I see," Aunt Azula said. "The Avatar's disciple, is she?"

"Yes'm," Ananya muttered. I couldn't quite understand the shift in her attitude. "Anyway, Kitta, nice to see you, but Kuzon and I were about to go to see the monument and maybe pick up some pickled sea prunes in the shopping ward."

"I don't think we have time," I said, desperately trying to worm my way out of pickled sea prunes. "After all, we still need to say hello to the Great Chief. It's a matter of protocol!"

"Oh come on, he'll be busy for hours!" Ananya said. "We'll be back before too long!"

She was, to my surprise, strong, and she dragged me away before I could build up a retort. I could only see Kitta shaking her head sadly as we left the Great Hall. "Stupid Kitta," Ananya muttered, "Doesn't she know I hate her guts?"

"What was that about?" I said, rearing on her.

"Nothing," she answered, "Come on! The monument awaits. I've never been, and I want to see if it lived up to the fuss my Grandpa made about it. Apparently that's where he had his first date or something."

She continued, her voice drifting on the wind and fading, "Not really a date, but --"

I stopped listening and trudged afterwards. I reasoned, anyway, that it'd be more interesting than standing in that hall for an hour or two.

_To be continued._


	4. Ananya

_**Spirits Like White Lightning**_

_By Iain R. Lewis_

_Disclaimer: Avatar belongs to Nickelodeon._

_Author's Note: Sorry for the delay on this chapter. Writing this story is a lot more involved than I thought it would be at the start. But I think the chapter turned out well considering.  
_

**Chapter 4: **_Ananya_

What happened next could easily be summed up in a single sentence.

I got into more trouble in an hour than I'd ever before in my life and then discovered that pickled sea prunes weren't so bad.

This wouldn't be inaccurate, in fact, it's exactly the opposite. Ananya had an idea that adventure was something that should be savored, taken full-force and never backed away from. The simplest thing could become an adventure to her, and she would do whatever it took to create a narrative that fit in her head. This was the first time that I ever really experienced just what it meant to adventure with Ananya.

So I will recount, in gratuitous detail, the events that transpired when Ananya led me from the Great Hall into the expanses of the South Pole Capital. It wasn't particularly dangerous, though at the time I had little frame of reference in terms of danger, but it was certainly -- well, I suppose I should just tell the story instead of building your expectations only to dash them all.

It wasn't so bad in the chill, actually, and I was quick to acclimate myself to the weather. There was a light sprinkling of snow. The bay was bustling, and the people along the streets were busy, pushing past to get to where they needed to go.

Ananya was a curious sort, who enjoyed the crowds. I couldn't quite figure out why she enjoyed slipping through a narrow opening between two people, and then laughed when I finally emerged behind her, a sparkle in her eye.

"You're so slow, my prince!" she joked, adding the flourish of a deep bow.

"Are you trying to lose me in this crowd?" I wondered, fuming. She just laughed, absolutely carefree, and more than a little careless. "It's not funny," I protested.

"It was just a race," she said, "And I won, so there.":

I wasn't going to dignify this game with a response. I was a man, sixteen years of age, and charged with an important duty. I wasn't sure why I was even following her, and I stood upright and turned around.

"Hey, don't be mad, okay?" she said, "Come on, Kuzon, I was just kidding."

"I shouldn't be traveling around the city with some girl right now. I've got important business to attend to."

"Oh, right, your message to the Avatar. Well, if you want to just wander around blindly," she said, I turned to look at her. She was beginning to walk off. "I mean, it's such a pity, the Avatar just up and left on you, and the only one who knows where he went is little ole me."

I bristled under that reminder. Yes, I was almost definitely going to need Ananya's help to track down the Avatar, but still, this was ridiculous. Sixteen years of age, a man, important duty, I kept repeating that in my head, and Ananya kept strolling off casually.

"Yep, real shame, that," she said. I was starting to notice something creeping into her otherwise casual vocie. It was almost like she was beginning to get nervous. I sighed, heavily, and started after her. "Oh, Kuzon, there you are!" she said, mock surprise written across her forehead.

"Where are we going?" I asked, tiredly.

"Oh, right, this is your first time in the South Pole. Well," she tapped her finger to her cheek rhythmically as she seemed to ponder this. "Well, first, we have to see the old ship. It's part of a whole war memorial. Uncle Sokka's idea," she said, "Surround it with boring stuff and no one's going to want to go see the actual Fire Nation warship."

That couldn't possibly be his reasoning, I protested, but I didn't say anything. She continued, "And after that, we'll see the shopping ward. That's the bit of the city built entirely from ice. It's a popular spot for kids our age."

"I'm not a kid," I muttered.

Ananya didn't hear me, and just continued prattling on, "There we can get some pickled sea prunes, which are a bit weird, but Gran Gran used to make me eat them, so I get some whenever I'm here."

I shrugged.

"Hopefully we'll still have time, and we can go check out the shipyard," she said, "That's where they take the bones and hides for their fishing ships. It's really neat, but it stinks from the junk they use to cure the hides."

"You watch them make the ships?"

"Sure, why not?" she replied, smirking. "Don't you ever watch them make your ships? That's got to be really something."

"No," I said, "I'm too busy with my training."

"Oh, so you're a Firebender, are you?" she asked. "I thought so. You walk like one."

I rolled my eyes. She was so obviously lying that I wasn't going to answer that. She continued to pester me about my style, asking some ridiculous sounding questions about my forms, which I just grunted a non-commital response. I wasn't at all interested in talking about Firebending, and she started to catch on.

"You know, if someone asked me about my bending, I wouldn't shut up about it. I mean, I don't get to talk to many other benders, just the few we visit in the Earth Kingdom, and they don't really care about the particulars of the air scooter and how you can really screw it up and blow yourself sky high if you're not careful."

"You're an Airbender, right?" I muttered, "Are there any others?"

"Just Grandpa," she said, sadly, "Maybe if I ever have kids they'll be benders too."

"Wasn't your mom or your dad an Airbender?" I wondered. I thought bending was one of those things that are just passed down through the family, like an old sword or blue eyes. I didn't get a response, which caused me pause.

In the short time I'd known her, I didn't figure Ananya for the type to be quiet. "Ananya?"

"Oh, sorry," she said, smile on her face, "I was just thinking. No, my mom wasn't an airbender. She was a Waterbender. One of the best. And me? I'm unique."

"Oh."

"It's been a long time since I've been home. I think I prefer the North Pole," she said. "Still, the Southern Water Tribe is nice, and their city is incredible. It's so big! So, why don't you want to talk about your Firebending. I'm sure you must know some pretty awesome tricks."

"No," I said.

"Come on, tell me. Can you shoot lightning from your nose?"

"No!" I shouted, a bit louder than I expected. "What makes you think I could do that?"

"Just what I heard from Grandpa. Or was that fire from the nose and lightning from the fingers -- I can never remember." She smiled at me and giggled. "Are you just bad at firebending, is that it? I don't mind if you can't light a candle."

"I can do much more than that," I protested, my pride wounded. "I'm almost a master!"

"Wow, really?" she seemed so amazed by that. Her eyes sparkled, "Well, you've got to show me. I know just the place, come on!" She took me by the arm and led me through the city. We came upon a small clearing where the snow was heavy and the people were few and far between. "I want to see some real hot firebending, Kuzon!"

"Uh," I hesitated. I wondered inwardly how I got in this position. There were people staring at me as Ananya kept encouraging me. I think they all wanted to see a Firebender in action, no doubt spurred on by tales of their terrible power in scary bed time stories.

"Well?" Ananya asked.

"I really don't think --"

"Come on, if you're almost a master, you've got to have some awesome forms to show me, right?" she said. And I grumbled, submitting to the situation. Forms I could do no trouble, it was just that I wasn't likely to give anything more than a spark.

I slid into a stance, tightened the sinews in my leg and flexed my arm back. Then, I took in a deep breath and moved. Strike once, then move into the next stance, two quick kicks, slide into a low stance, and keep my arms rigid. Punch, slide into the next form, and unwind, with two strikes.

I didn't pay any attention to anyone but the forms, and I could feel the sickly flames shoot out.

When I finished that kata, I stood up and looked at Ananya. Her face was so full to the brim with disappointment that I didn't know what to say. "Well, you get an A for effort," she said. "Your forms were great! But those flames," she shook her head, "Probably just the cold, right?"

"Yeah, sure."

The rest of the audience weren't quite so enthused, and they appeared to already be well involved with everything they were doing beforehand. I slouched a bit. It seemed that this curse that was inflicted upon me would be more of an annoyance than I'd anticipated.

"So," Ananya said, patting me on the back, "Don't let it get you down. It's just a fluke, you'll just practice, get used to the cold, and you'll be --"

"I'll be what?"

"Don't look now."

I looked. I recognized the trio of boys. They were part of the crowd pursuing Ananya earlier that day after she'd apparently been at the scene of a young man being pushed into the bay. They'd changed, and seemed a little warmer than when I'd last seen them, though one still seemed to be a slightly unhealthy shade of blue.

"You looked, didn't you?"

"Yeah," I murmured.

"Oh well," Ananya said. "Just tell me if they've noticed me. Maybe if we're sneaky, we can get away without drawing their attention --"

"Hey!"

"They saw you," I said. I smiled wryly.

"I figured that out, princey," she muttered. She came out from behind me and waved to the boys, "Hi, guys! What's happening?"

"I knew you were covering for her!" the leader said, pointing at me. I swatted it away in annoyance, and he rubbed that hand for a bit, much to my satisfaction. "What's the big deal, Ananya."

"Well, you seemed angry," Ananya said, "And well, I offered to dry you off and then you got wet all over again, and then you were even angier."

"I don't care if the Avatar's your Grandfather or what," the leader said, waving his finger at Ananya. If this guy was a threat, she didn't treat him as such. "I oughta, I oughta--"

"You oughta what?" Ananya asked, "I'll have you know my friend here is a Prince, and he's a Firebender, so you know what that means! He's got a crew of firebenders just waiting to melt this place to a puddle."

"Uh," the leader looked at me. I was about to protest when Ananya went one further.

"And he's no slouch, either. He's like this far from being a master. He'll turn you into a roast penguin if you don't lay off!"

"Guys, do what she says," the blue-tinted one whispered, "I saw the ship in the bay, it's just like the one in the memorial!"

I could hardly contain my outrage. The Western Dragon was a top-of-the-line modern ship, and comparing it to a rotting, ancient Fire Nation wreck was perhaps an even bigger insult than making me and my crew out to be draconic, firebending invaders, flames spurting out of their noses in their rage, and those boys cowering in fear at my feet --

Actually, that wasn't such a bad image. I could get used to people trembling in fear at the name of Prince Kuzon.

"We're sorry, sir, we didn't mean to --"

"Shut up, did you see, he's glaring at you!"

"He's going to boil us alive in the snow --"

"Well, see that it doesn't happen again," I said, as menacingly as I could muster. It was deadpan and a bit half-hearted, but it seemed to have the desired effect.

"It won't, promise," the leader said. "We'll just be going --"

Ananya dragged me along, all the while waving to the boys with a long, and somewhat menacing grin. Then, once we had a good enough lead, she turned to me and said, "Okay, and now we run."

"What? Why?"

"Because it's going to be a couple of minutes until they figure out I'm bluffing, and then it's snow down my back, and yours too, now."

That sounded decidedly unpleasant, so when she broke into a dash, I followed.

* * *

A light snowfall fell on the city as the hour slowly ebbed away. Ananya slowed her run and started to walk once we were once more lost in the crowds of the city street. The smell of fish permeated the city, as did the bitter smell of cold.

The warm coat my mother had packed for me did little to take my mind from it. I could see my breath clear in front of my face. Ananya's face was a little rosier, her pale complexion affected by the cold much like I imagined mine to be.

The memorial itself was situated a good distance away from the Great Hall. I was surprised it took us as long as it did to finally reach it. Buildings surrounded the old ship, and it almost seemed like a part of the city, rather than some old derelict.

Perhaps there was more merit to the idea that the Great Chief built the memorial around it to dissuade people from randomly traipsing through it. I could see a lot of people -- guards by the looks -- about it. A lot of the older generation, escorted by their children and grandchildren, seemed to be visiting, weighed down by some emotional burden I couldn't understand.

Ananya however just lit up when we approached. "Finally!" she said, "Finally got here!"

I didn't have long, and I was starting to think turning around and returning to the Great Hall before we were called in would be the best idea. I just knew that Baku guy would come searching for me, dragging me by the legs the whole way back through the snowy city.

Then there was the matter of those boys that Ananya seemed prone to antagonize. I was certain I could beat them off, but getting into a brawl was the last thing I wanted to do. The twisting knot in my stomach reminded me of the embarrassing display from our detour. I was hardly in any shape to bend, and I would try to avoid it in the future.

"What are you waiting for? Come on!" Ananya said, she looked to be in a huff, grabbing my arm and pulling me forcefully towards the memorial building. I shrugged. It couldn't help to get out of the snow, which by now powdered our hair enough that a passing glance at Ananya made her seem much older.

"I'm coming."

She pulled me into the building, and it took me a little bit to adjust to the low light inside. There were no windows, just small oil lamps. I could see more of those guards around, watching the visitors carefully.

There was something of a museum inside. Reminders of the war, mementos of what was lost and what was gained and everything the Southern Water Tribe lived through and persevered despite.

I had nothing to say about it all. I was too young to comprehend, I long ago came to that understanding when Grandfather eyes would gloss over with that faraway look, and then he would speak in a hushed, reverent tone, humbled by the graves of men whose names I never knew, and I would stare feeling nothing.

To say I didn't understand why would be wrong, it was merely that I lacked that first-hand understanding. Stories of the war were no substitute for witnessing it. Still, I respected it, in a very impersonal way.

Ananya never seemed to have been taught how.

"This is boring, Kuzon, let's just skip this junk and get to the ship, okay?"

I could see people turning their heads to look at her. She spoke loudly, she yawned even louder, which I didn't think was possible until that moment, and she broke off into a spring through the halls.

I never felt this mortified in my life. They were looking at me, thinking things, what I could only imagine. What if they thought she was my little sister, and I, the dutiful brother, failing utterly at keeping her in line.

Worse still, what if they thought she was my girlfriend?

I cast such thoughts straight out of my mind. They didn't know anything about me or her, and I would be having some words with the girl before we got into some serious trouble. At least, foolishly, that's what I believed.

Following her, and ducking from the glances of the people in the memorial, I came across the entrance to the ship, and she stood, balancing like a circus performer, on one of the metal railings that led up to the derelict. "Come on, come on!" she urged, petulantly.

"Ananya, we need to talk," I began.

"We can talk when we're inside!" she huffed, jumping off and causing my heart to stop. She was going to hurt herself!

She landed, and proceeded to slip and fall on her rear. "Ow," she muttered. I winced in sympathy.

"You're lucky that wasn't worse," I muttered in response. "Behave, Ananya. This is a memorial, treat it with some respect."

"Why?"

"Because people died in that war," I answered.

"Like?"

"I don't know," I answered, after a hesitant moment. "People who the visitors knew about, probably."

"Oh, that's so sad for them," Ananya said, sympathetically. "But come on, the war's over and done with! We won, you guys lost."

"That's not really accurate," I tried to contest. If anything, the war ended with no one so much winning as everyone just not losing completely. She didn't listen to me. Well, this was probably going to become a recurring theme, I distinctly recall thinking. I was sometimes more observant than I ought to be.

Ananya just gave me a long, empty look. She furrowed her brow quizically, looking for me for some sort of answer, before saying, in a flat voice, "What, so in the Fire Nation you guys won or something?"

"No!" I spat out. "Look, the details don't matter, the important thing is that people here are trying to pay their respects, you should too, okay?"

"Okay, okay, fine," she said, "You never had a day of fun in your entire life, have you?"

I resented that! I wasn't the type to run headlong into danger and call it an adventure, but that didn't mean I didn't know how to have fun. In school, I discovered poetry, and even wrote several haiku of my own, and while I wasn't quite into the wild parties Daisuke would somehow just know about -- even if they'd just started spontaneously a couple of minutes before, I was convinced -- I wasn't a stick in the mud.

So having this girl, with her wide eyed smile, saying I was boring ruffled more than a few of my feathers, or whatever that expression was. I was going to retort, 'What do you mean, of course I've had fun!' or something like that, but Ananya, not waiting for a response, apparently, just said, "Come on, the ship's just over there and then we can really have some fun."

Those words filled me with such indescribeable dread I couldn't even begin to relate. Still, I'd come this far, and I resolved to see it through. The sooner we got in and out of that ship and back to the hall, the better.

The Great Chief's hall sounded more and more welcoming as time went on.

* * *

The ship, a massive, twisted metal monstrosity that was taken from the water by the benders of the South Pole years ago, had the look of something straight out of the history books. It was an early model of this construction, from the beginning of the ascendent Fire Empire that my ancestor Sozin started.

Though it seemed like there were people allowed to tour the ship, Ananya crept along its long, clanking corridors with the grace of a lurking jungle cat, in her own mind. Reality, however, was not so kind on her. She hung low, trying to avoid the notice of some person I did not see, and she pulled me down to her level quickly.

She usually walked very lightly, which wasn't exactly something I noticed earlier, but it was definitely noticeable when she started to creep. She made loud noises with every stomping footstep, and the metal corridors just amplified the sound. She didn't notice, or at least, she probably blamed me for the noise, considering she threw me a dirty glance every couple of seconds.

She was also humming some off-tone music.

Why was she humming? That I never found out.

The problem was that the surroundings were empty. This whole charade of sneaking about like spies behind enemy lines was ridiculous, and I was starting to feel like my back was going to give out from the way she forced me to bend it.

Any guards were elsewhere, and we were following the clearly marked touring path, anyway. The story goes that the Fire Lord met the Avatar because of a flare fired off by this very ship, which would make it of interest to anyone who was a student of either of those individuals.

I was one, and I wondered if Ananya was of the other.

"Ananya --"

She silenced me with a harsh shush, and then pulled her face close to mine and whispered, "We can't be noticed, the guards could kick us out for sure."

"I won't argue that point," because we were being incredibly suspicious I wanted to add, but I bit back comment, "But anyway, your grandfather came here after being found by the Water Tribe, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Is that why you came here?"

"What gave you that idea?" she asked, looking at me without a single shred of amusement on her face. Ananya's lack of subtlety put Daisuke to shame. I could tell I'd struck a nerve, and I wasn't about to proceed on asking her something she didn't have any interest in talking about.

I managed to stutter out a quick excuse, "Well, it's just you mentioned he went here on his first date --"

"You think this is a date?" There was that smile. I felt a little better until I realized that she was actually aiming it straight at me. "Oh, Kuzon, you're so cute, thinking this is a date. I bet you've never been on one before, too."

Well, I hadn't, but still! "A date? With you? Sorry, I'm spoken for."

"Oh, I see," she said. She didn't believe me, that much was clear from her tone. "Well, I'm sure she's very pretty."

Much prettier than you, I narrowly avoided snapping. "She is. And -- hey, wait!" Realization dawned, and I turned it right around on her, "Like you've been on a date before, either."

Okay, admitting I'd never been on a date in the process may not have been the smartest thing, it still had the desired effect on Ananya. She suddenly looked a little paler and her smile dimmed until she finally looked away and began creeping down the hall again.

"Never you mind! Come on, this way," she snapped.

She led me past the aforementioned tour path. The ship's awkward position made the following corridors a little more treacherous to go down. Small bits of rusty decay had claimed holes in the hull, and the ship itself had seen much better days.

"Wow!" Ananya shouted, somehow feeling that now they were past the acceptable areas for touring, that we could now, of all times now, speak at the top of our lungs. "Kuzon, check this out! Are these the the quarters?"

"No," I said, "I think this is for briefings. The tables there would hold charts and maps. They'd plan their course or coordinate a ground battle from here. It wasn't a commander's ship, admittedly, just a front-line battleship, so I figure it was more for the first one."

"No kidding," Ananya said. She bounded over a large piece of missing floor and wall, and grabbed hold to the table. "Pretty neat. Do you have one of these on your ships."

"Of course."

"Cool! It hasn't even moved, even though the ship's all wonky and off kilter."

"Well, you wouldn't get much done on the ocean if you didn't bolt it to the floor," i said, pointing at the feet of the table.

She looked at it, and peered, curiously at it. It was kind of cute, I had to admit, the way she threw herself wholy into the task, as frivolous as it may be. "Wow, so, do you have stuff bolted down for sleeping on? Beds or something?"

"Yes," I said. "Or we hang up hammocks if space is tighter, like on a larger ship."

"I wanna see!" she said, bouncing back over. "Which way are the quarters, anyway?"

"That's a good question," I admitted aloud, much to my surprise. Still, it wasn't like I was intimately familiar with an ancient Fire Nation ship, and the modern ones had different lay-outs than this. I wondered if they were back in the regular section, but dismissed it. They were probably further below.

"Let's go see," she said, pulling me along. She led me down a very narrow stairway further below deck. The ship was barely built for people at this level, and I was starting to doubt my assumption. The old models were hard enough to read, but combined with my familiarity with modern vessels, and things were already confusing.

"This doesn't look very comfy," she said, looking at me. "You're sure?"

"No."

"I see," she said, knitting her brow together in frustration, "I guess this is a war ship, they didn't actually want to live comfortably, right? I wonder if there are any booby traps down here! I'd really love to see Uncle Sokka's face when a flare goes flying out or something!"

I really doubt they rigged two traps to do the same thing. Still, she was right, the Great Chief's face when they set off a trap would be something to see, probably around the same time that he declared war on the Fire Nation.

Yes, I would very much have fun explaining that one to Grandfather. Anyway, it wouldn't be my fault, it would be the Great Chief's Great-Niece. Speaking of whom, she peered into the rooms on this floor, with great interest. "Not really what I'd call posh accomodations," she said. "I don't think these are the living quarters at all."

"Yeah," I agreed, "Usually for the crew they're put in one large communal quarter, and sleep in shifts."

"Oh."

"Plus, the piping here makes me think we're near the furnace. It'd be too hot for anyone to really be comfortable down here."

"So what are these rooms for?"

I stared at them. Small, too small for much more than a single person, maybe two if needed. There wasn't much they could store in there that wouldn't be too inconvenient or small enough, so it wasn't for storage.

I frowned.

"The brig."

"What's a brig?"

"A prison," I answered. She walked into one of the cells and looked around. I squeezed my way in as well.

"Comfy," she said. "Do you treat all your prisoners like this?"

"Oh, yes, our prisons are known for both their tiny cells and their overcrowding, you know," I said wryly. She looked at me, cocking her head. "Let's just get out of here."

"Yeah, let's go!" she said, pushing me towards the door. I nearly tripped over something as she pushed me, and I fell face-first into the closing door. Disoriented, I could barely make out Ananya's accusing shouts.

I stumbled, and fell on her. She barely held me up. I noticed she was a lot stronger than she looked as things got a bit fuzzy.

"-- no time for joking around --" I heard her saying as my ears rang.

"What was that?" I muttered, regaining my footing and standing up. "What did you do?"

"I've been asking you that!" Ananya shouted right back. "This was a plan, to get back at me for, for, for --"

"Yes, this was my brilliant plan to lock you in a cell alone with me with barely enough room to move our arms around."

She looked at me, brilliantly crimson, "I'm not liking the idea of being alone with you if you planned this out."

"Of course I didn't! You think I'd want to be trapped in a cell with you?"

"Loneliness makes us do crazy things," she said, matter-of-factly. I didn't know what was weirder, that a girl who'd never been on a date was lecturing me on loneliness, or that she seemed to ignore the fact that I had a girlfriend.

"I'm not lonely!"

"Imaginary girlfriend, going along with a date with a girl you just met, then locking her alone with you in a tiny cell, that sure sounds like the motives of a lonely man." Yes, I would agree with that, but I wouldn't agree with the insinuation that they were my motives.

I pushed at the door, hoping that it would give way and open. I had no luck. "We're stuck here until someone finds us."

"Oh, then you'll be in trouble, Kuzon. I bet you're not even really a prince."

I ignored that and wrote it off as her being upset. She stared at me curiously, and then looked away when she caught my eyes turning towards her. it was dark, but the light coming out from holes in the hull and the small gap in the door let us see each other fine. "What is it?"

"Nothing, what are you talking about?"

"Fine," I shrugged. I made some shouts out of the door, hoping that one of the passing security would notice the sound and come investigate, but after a while, my voice was going hoarse and there was no sign of anyone.

"So," Ananya said, suddenly, "We're going to be stuck here for a while, huh?"

"I don't see you trying anything."

"Oh, I could yell!" she said. She inhaled deeply, and then cried out for help. My eardrums popped, she was louder than I thought someone could be. "I'm trapped here all alone with a strange man! Won't someone come to my rescue!"

"What? Strange man? Hey!"

She giggled. "I could try some airbending to open the door. Maybe that'll work!" She assumed a rather narrow stance -- the brig was probably made to prevent this kind of thing, and I knew I couldn't move enough to even breathe a decent flame if I could. But Ananya was so tiny she just seemed to be able to narrowly form a ball of air.

Well, I assumed it was a ball, seeing as it was air I couldn't exactly see it, but the growing force of wind in the cell seemed to imply that.

It also brought to my attention what an awful idea this really was. The door was on one side of the cell, she was on the other, and unfortunately for me, there I was, stuck in the middle.

"Ananya, this isn't a good idea!"

She wasn't listening -- and I apparently wasn't learning. I braced for impact.

"Hyah!"

With that warcry, the wind in the room blasted me into the door. It made a mighty klunk, and I just tried to make sure I hadn't broken a rib in the process. It could have been worse. Ananya looked at me with wide eyes. "Whoopsie."

"Yeah, whoopsie," I managed to squeeze out of my pain wracked body. "I'm just going to sit down until the dizziness subsides."

"I'm sorry, Kuzon! I really didn't mean to --"

I raised my hand. "Accepted." She seemed so sincere when she looked at me like that. I just wanted to center myself and try and stop the rising headache that was forming. I was going to be late, my grandfather was probably going to banish me forever, and it all seemed oh so insurmountable right now.

* * *

"What's your story, anyway?" she asked. She said it a bit roughly, A part of me wondered why she was being so angry. We'd been standing in the relative dark of the cell for some time, and though we called out for help every now and then, we weren't having any luck.

The other part of me responded to her question. "What's yours?"

"I'm an airbender training under the Avatar, isn't that obvious?"

"Yes, but," I looked at her, "You don't look like a normal airbender."

"Is there a normal airbender anymore?" she wondered. "Look, if you didn't want to answer you could have said. I wouldn't have minded. I was just curious. I mean, yeah, you say you're a prince, and that ship you came in on is pretty fancy."

"You saw me come in?"

"Yep," she answered, "That's where I pushed those guys into the water, remember?"

"Oh," I looked at her. She smiled at me, innocently. I was starting to think she did push them in just because it was funny, though. It really seemed to be something she'd do. Was getting in trouble the only way she measured how much she had fun? "Like I said, Grandfather -- the Fire Lord, I mean, he wants me to find the Avatar to deliver a message."

"What kind of message?"

"That's not important," I said, "It's kind of important that I don't tell anyone but the Avatar."

"Oh." She smiled, "Exciting! A secret message! A harrowing mission! A prince, sent by his Fire Lord, to travel the world seeking out the Avatar like he himself had years ago. It's like a story!"

"But it's not," I said. "It's a matter of life and death."

"Oh," she said, "Serious, huh? That's cool too, I guess. So, what's the deal with your blocked chakra, anyway?"

"Huh?"

"Your chakra are all clogged, even I can see that. I saw a lot of those kinda people come to my mom for help.."

"Your mother? How would she know about blocked chakra and stuff?"

"She was a waterbender, remember," she said. "People came from all over. They called her a Miracle-Bender, because even if your life was in the balance, or if your wound was not really so much of the body but the spirit, it didn't matter. Some people even thought she could bring back the dead."

"Saya--"

"Yep," she said, smiling,

"Well, I don't know what's wrong with me," I said. "Kitta said there wasn't anything she could do about it."

"I guess so. Kitta's not as good as my mom. She was the best."

"What happened to her?" I winced, realizing what I'd just asked. Yes, Kuzon, how compassionate of you to ask the poor girl how her mother died.

"Don't worry about it," she said, "I'm surprised you never heard about it, but I guess we were both a little too young to get it, right?" I nodded, slowly. "She was lost at sea. We never found her, but, it was pretty clear the Ocean spirit took her back."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

She looked different. Older, perhaps, than I thought she was. She didn't seem sad, not necessarily, but she seemed distant, like she was lost in her memories. "Kitta took it harder than me, I heard. She was my mother's student, and she was like a part of the family, everyone kept saying."

"Oh."

"Oh?"

"Go on."

"Fine, fine, stop making noises," she said, a little annoyed to be drawn from her reverie. "Kitta was like a big sister I never wanted. Everyone admired her because of how great a healer she was. Even Gran-Gran had to admit she was impressed. She wasn't as good as mom, though! But Mom loved teaching her, still."

I could sense something underneath the surface, unspoken. Ananya wasn't one who could hide her true feelings, though. She was jealous, jealous of Kitta's relationship with her mother and I couldn't blame her. I felt jealous whenever Mom would take the twins off for something mysterious -- 'girl stuff' in her words -- and while now, in retrospect, going to a beauty parlor seems to be the least interesting thing in the world, at age six, they were the bitterest grapes on the vine.

"You know that doesn't mean Kitta was replacing you."

"Who said she was!" Ananya snapped, "I certainly didn't! Nope, nothing about that in the story at all. No way, no how. And what do you know. I bet Kitta told you all about how I was a brat or something."

"She didn't really mention you. I could tell she admired Saya, though," I answered. "And when she saw you, she seemed like she was fond of you."

"Maybe," she said. "Like you know what it's like to have someone stealing your mom from you."

"Yeah, I do." She looked at me, and I sighed. May as well, I thought, share a story or two of the terrible twosome. "Okay, you have to understand, my Uncle's wife died when her children were very young, so they never really had a mother figure. They're twins. Michiko and Kimiko, though don't ask me to tell you which is which."

"Okay," she said. "If I ever meet them, I'll ask."

"They would always be bugging Mom to go take them to do things, treating her like she was their own mother. They'd go to beauty parlors, or come along to Ember Island with us during vacation. It was really annoying."

"Oh?"

"Well, they always talk in unison, or finish each other's sentences, or something like that, and you can never tell what they're plotting, and they're always plotting something. They would conspire to keep me occupied and steal my parents away from me for whatever they wanted. Like, really, they even told me so once."

"Didn't they have their own dad?" she wondered.

"Uncle Lu Ten is, well, he's Uncle Lu Ten. If you get him to remember your name, he's having a good day. If you get him to acknowledge you, there are a few establishments on Ember Island I'd like to take you to."

She giggled, "He sounds fun."

"He can be. He's really smart. Scary smart, actually," I said. "But the twins are more like Grandma. One time, they managed to lock me in the servant's quarters for an hour."

"Your family sounds fun," she said.

"Fun isn't the word I'd use. Crazy may be closer." She laughed at that.

"Maybe I can meet them someday. Grandpa and Gran Gran were friends with your grandparents, right?"

"I guess so," I said. "The Avatar was invited to my birthday party, but he didn't show. I don't know about Gran Gran."

"Probably not, I doubt they'd be invited to the same thing," Ananya commented. "They're not on speaking terms."

"They're not?"

For the briefest moment I got a glimpse of her that would remain in the back of my head forever.

She looked so -- no, sad wasn't the word -- vulnerable. I never saw her let her guard down like that elsewhere, it was just there and then that I finally caught a glimpse under the smile and I would always think of this when I got angry or upset with her.

Vulnerable and alone, a little girl lost.

I didn't pry.

I'll admit, I really wanted to pry,

All right, so I was going to pry, but at about that time, there was a sound coming from the ship outside. "Is there somebody down here?" they asked. A guard, finally!

"Finally," she said, looking relieved and the girl vanishing behind a smile that is simply Ananya. "Hey! Can you break this thing open, we're trapped in here!"

"Kids, always sneaking in," a grizzled voice said. The door rattled and the voice peeked in. He was an older sort, he looked a bit like a badger-mole with his hair and beard, which was starting to gray around the sideburns. "Need to break this thing down, step back, will you, son?"

I moved back, pressing a bit too close to Ananya. She gave me a mischievous look, and wrapped her arms around my waist. What was she thinking? my mind asked. The rest of me apparently didn't complain.

There was a sound of something being thrust at the door. Another loud sound, and Ananya pulled me closer. She was planning something, my mind shouted, but I didn't really have anywhere else I could be in that tiny cell.

"Got it," the man said, pulling it open. "You kids, what are you doing in there?"

"Why, we were just here to get away from our parents, who would not ever approve of such a starcrossed love!" Ananya said, with full and total conviction. Oh, my mind said, I warned you but did you listen?

No. No I did not. And I was regretting that right now. "She's joking. She wanted to explore."

"Kids today," the man said, "Whatever the reason, either of you some Kuzy wotsit guy?"

"Yeah, that's him," Ananya said, grinning at me. She whispered, "That's what you get." I didn't know what she was talking about. I only said the truth.

"Prince Baku was looking for you. Want me to take you to him?"

"Uh, that guy?" I blanched. I looked at Ananya angrily, "You made me late!"

"Whoopsie," she said, sticking out her tongue. "Well, Baku can wait. Pickled Sea Prunes first. Excuse us."

"Hey, I was told it was important," the older guy said. "And you're lucky it was me instead'a some guard. You'd be right back in that place and I'd still have'ta replace that old tripwire to close the door."

I thought the door was a little too strong for an archaic derelict! The groundskeeper apparently redid any tripped traps. This was all one big tourist trap. Literally!

"Let's go talk to Baku, Ananya. Maybe he'll buy you some of your pickled sea prunes," I muttered. I really didn't want to try any of them.

"Fine. He won't pay for it, you know, so I'm counting on you, Kuzon!"

Prince Baku was on the main level of the ship's deck, and his expression could have frozen the ship in place on its own. Ananya seemed to be in agreement, as she whispered to me, conspiratorially, "Forget waterbenders, Baku's glare can keep the entire polar ice caps frozen in place for a fraction of the cost."

I really wish I thought of that one.

"Ananya, I should have expected this," he said. It was closer to a growl. He looked at me, "And I expected better of a Prince."

"Sorry, sir," Ananya said, bowing her head. I wasn't going to bow to this pompous jerk, though. I would not be able to find the nerve to say that aloud, mind you, but the sentiment was always there.

"We were just looking for a little excitement," I said, keeping eye-contact with him the entire time. "Nothing more."

"Your little bit of excitement is keeping the Great Chief waiting."

"Like your dad cares," Ananya giggled. It was cut short when Baku's neck craned to turn that icy glare onto her. She bowed her head again, and I looked back and forth between them. Maybe when he was in a better mood I could get him to show me that trick, I thought.

"The Great Chief is waiting."

"Aw," Ananya moaned, "But I wanted some pickled sea prunes from Jokki's."

"Why?" Baku looked completely befuddled. "I'm sure the Great Chief's will have plenty for your dinner tonight."

"Yeah, but Kuzon's going to be gone by then, and I wanted to see if he'd like some." She not only turned on the charm, she seemed to take it past normal levels. "Pretty please, Baku!"

And to my amazement, the icy grump acquiesced, "All right. Quickly, on the way back. While we return. Understood?"

"Perfectly! I love you, Baku!"

His eye was twitching spasmodically, I noticed. I didn't say anything. I was more than happy to not be on the receiving end of Ananya's negotiations. Baku turned with a grunt, and we followed him out of the memorial building.

* * *

I'd heard the South Pole was the gateway to the future. Architecturally, it didn't particularly strike me as such, but there was something very convenient about the city that made traveling to the so-called shopping ward easy. Most of the businesses in the city worked out of here. You knew you were close when you smelled the fish.

I was taken by surprise by the variety of businesses operating out of the shopping ward. "Is that a Fire Flake vendor?" I wondered.

"Yes."

"Baku, you're making Kuzon look like a chatterbox."

Wait, what does that mean?

"Okay, Kuzon, Uncle Sokka's biggest idea for the city was to open it up to all the nations. He believed that trade and commerce was the best deterrent for war."

Baku nodded. "Father's belief is a sound one," he said finally.

"Well, yes, but the Avatar's more important than some stores. I mean, people steal, right?"

"It is based on a mutual respect," Baku said. "A man comes in, he acknowledges that yes, he wants those -- whatever those flakes are made of -- yet also respects that they belong to someone else, so he offers to trade. The same exchange is on the other side."

"Oh." That was the most I'd ever heard him talk. He was actually quite intelligent when he wasn't just glowering at people. "I think I understand."

"Good."

"Jokki's!" Ananya cheered. "Three bowls of sea prunes, please!"

The proprieter, who I assumed was either named Jokki, but I couldn't say for certain, smiled quite happily at his exuberant regular customer. "Ananya, good to see you're still doing okay. And -- the prince?"

He bowed low.

"There's no need for formalities," Baku said. I couldn't tell for certain, but he seemed a bit uncomfortable about that sudden bit of attention. "My father will happily provide the bill, as always."

And he paid the check! I was quite pleased with that since I was only afforded a measely allowance for this trip, and a bowl of prunes -- pickled no less -- didn't sound so appetizing.

Or look it, once I saw the meal itself. I was handed a bowl, and I took it, cautiously. What manner of food was this? I looked longingly at the fire flake vendor down the road. There was a snack I could get behind, and Grandma's supply never seemed to run out.

I suddenly felt a pang of homesickness.

And I looked at the sea prunes, and I saw Ananya staring at me. "Well?"

Ah, the moment of truth.

I took one of the squriming lobs of -- whatever -- and put it gingerly on my tongue. Ananya's eyes lit up as I took a bite of it.

It was wriggly. However, it wasn't unpleasant. In fact, while the flavor was certainly unexpected, it was mostly acceptable. So, I took another bite. "Like it?"

"It's interesting," I said. "Next time, I'll choose what we try."

"Sure!"

"Let's return to the great hall," Baku said. He took a bite of his bowl, and I could tell he was just as big a fan of this vendor's as Ananya was. Maybe that was more the reason for his agreeing to take us than Ananya's puppy impression.

We were already en route when those boys from before came charging through the crowd. I flinched, just imagining the idea of snow being poured down my shirt. It was cold enough without that. "Ananya!" the leader said.

"Hakka? What is it?"

Okay, this was new. The boy looked really serious, and a little frightened. "The Prince, too, oh, thank the spirits."

"Spit it out quickly, boy," Baku said. Something was wrong, something was seriously wrong here. I looked anxiously at the boy to continue. He tried to catch his breath quickly.

"The Great Chief -- one of the guards told me to find you -- there's -- someone appeared at the hall and --"

"A man with a tattoo on his face?"

"Yes!" Hakka shouted, amazed, "That's the one! Oh it's bad. The guards aren't doing so well. I was there trying to find Ananya and -- oh, you got to get there, now!"

"Let's go." Baku charged off, and Ananya was about to follow. She turned to look at me, as I tried to keep my feet steady. There was a fear paralyzing them, weakening them. A fear of that man, the one who had blocked my chakra with whatever strange technique he used.

Hiroshi had come to the South Pole. My stony expression seemed to upset Ananya, the glimmer of excitement faded from her silvery gray eyes.

_To be continued._


	5. The Great Chief

_**Spirits Like White Lightning**_

_By Iain R. Lewis_

_Disclaimer: Avatar belongs to Nickelodeon._

_Author's Note: Christmas is coming, and I've had less time to dedicate to writing than usual. So this is officially the start of my Holiday break. I'll be back in the New Year with new chapters of Spirits and FES, and hopefully more._

_Have a happy holiday, and I will see you all in 2010._

**Chapter 5: **_The Great Chief_

The Great Hall was a reflection of the Great Chief, a building that favored simplicity and modern efficiency over any ancient tradition. The front of the building was scarcely decorated, and there were no intricate water works flowing around with the grand power of waterbending.

It was, however, designed to be protected. Raised above the rest of the city, it was easily defended, and it would be difficult for any invader to work their way up those steps.

This wasn't just any invader however. his name was Hiroshi, and he was a monster. I knew that for a fact now. I glanced at Baku, whose face was washed with rage. His people lay broken on the stairway. "One man," I heard him say, like he was having difficulty grasping the concept. Yes, one man did this, I saw him do the same in the Fire Nation.

I remembered the visceral memory of his fist slamming against my stomach, draining my breath from me before the flames could even touch him, dispersing those I'd already called because I could no longer feed them the air they needed to live.

"This is awful," Ananya murmured. "Kuzon, isn't your aunt still here?"

I grimaced, Aunt Azula could take care of herself in normal circumstances, but these weren't precisely normal. It wasn't normal for the very home of the Water Tribe's leader to be taken by one man.

"We must go," Baku said. "Kuzon, get Ananya away from here."

I started to protest, when Ananya stood forward and said, "Okay, let's go, Kuzon." Dumbfounded and stupefied, I couldn't respond. The words caught in my throat, and Ananya was the only one who could seem to speak. "Baku, don't do anything stupid, okay?"

"I have to protect my father," Baku said, solemnly, "I will do what I must."

That was a painfully dramatic line. I nodded, cordially, and watched him hurry into the hall, alone. I wanted to follow after him, but Ananya took my arm and looked at me, her expression serious, "If you go that way you'll never get there in time. Baku's stupid if he thinks I'm going to let Uncle Sokka face whatever did this alone."

Why did you let him send you away, then, I wondered. She smiled mysteriously, and wagged a finger, "I'm going in, too!"

"And why did you tell him you'd just stay here?"

"Because he won't listen!" she protested. "He thinks I've got to be protected because I'm the only airbender. Stupid Baku. Besides, there's a smarter way to the main chamber. A back door!"

"What?"

"It'd be pretty stupid to put yourself in the biggest target in the city without putting in another way out, right?" Ananya asked me. I didn't know. The palace was believed to hide many labyrinthine tunnels through the volcanic rock, but at the same time, most of those old bunkers were sealed off for safety concerns.

Still, I wouldn't much like to be the ruler who didn't know every way out of his own dungeon. I figured a clever man like Sokka of the Water Tribe would hardly be caught by this. Still, if he had a back door, wouldn't he use it?

"Of course he wouldn't!" Ananya answered my question without pause. "Gran Gran said he was always too stubborn for his own good."

Gran-Gran's wisdom would be tested soon enough, I figured. If Ananya knew where this back door was, then we could easily get in behind the fighting, and maybe convince him to escape. I really hated to admit it, but Ananya had a good deal of cunning, herself.

She hurried away, literally jumping across the way without slowing. I knew for a fact that she was fast, but now she was almost out of my sight by the time I'd managed to get down to where she leapt, and she was still going, slipping and sliding the whole while on the icy surface.

When she finally stopped, I was out of breath from sprinting all this way. She seemed fine. She seemed better than fine, actually, her rosy complexion was the same as ever. She had ducked underneath an overhang, away from the bluster of snow that started overhead, and was groping around aimlessly at a wall.

"It's here somewhere," she muttered.

"Maybe you need to waterbend it."

"That'd be really stupid for a guy who can't bend to make," she pointed out. She didn't seem pleased by my interjection, but I shrugged and watched her fumble with the wall. "Come on, where are you!"

"Maybe it only opens from the inside."

"No," she said, "I've been in this way before. Gran Gran knew about it. She snuck in and gave Uncle Sokka a huge scare." She seemed to be fumbling further and further away from the small cracks in the ice that I didn't notice before now.

"It seems like any mechanism would freeze up here."

"Yeah, usually," she said. "But that's part of the idea. The door's concealed because of the ice. The warm air from inside helps keep the door from freezing up. The door opens with enough force to break the rest. Oh come on, Uncle Sokka, where did you put it."

I had to admit, I was impressed. The Great Chief's ideas were a little strange, and I wondered exactly how a building as open as the Great Hall could make hot enough air to keep the ice around the door

Still, I could feel a rush of warm air from the door. Wouldn't the mechanism have to be near the heat to keep from freezing over? I put my hand around the edge of the door. "Does it open up this way?"

"Yeah," she said, "Why?"

I could feel something unlodged in the wall. I pushed it and the door slammed open, knocking Ananya back and into the snow. "Sorry," I managed to say. I think I kept a straight face, but her flushed cheeks grew even redder as she looked at me. "What?"

"Don't laugh, you jerk."

I shrugged.

"Really! If you laugh, I'll hate you."

"I won't laugh," I barked out under a chuckle. She looked absolutely furious. "Come on, we've got to warn the Great Chief, we don't have time to play in snowdrifts."

She punched me in the shoulder, and hard, too. and I was certain it would bruise. I winced, and she stomped off into the building. The interior hall was incredibly warm. There were large metal tubes of heated water winding around the staircase, making the chamber even hotter as we proceeded inwards.

"A furnace," I concluded.

"Yep," she said, "Can't let you prissy Fire Nation types freeze to death, it's not good diplomacy."

She was Water Tribe, all right, she absolutely glowed with pride at the water heating that was employed in the Great Hall. "On the surface, it looks like a normal Water Tribe building, but it's actually not made of ice at all, just the outside."

"But even the inside looks like it's made of ice."

"I know!" she said, "Waterbending at its finest. Can turn an entire lake to ice even in the Fire Nation, you know!"

"If only you were a waterbender," I grinned.

"Hey, low blow. I'm still a Water Tribe girl, you know!"

"Fine, fine," I said, bringing my hands up.

"So, underneath all this ice is a metalic frame. Your grandfather helped get it constructed. This place is full of surprises."

"It's like he expected a war," I commented.

"What makes you say that?"

"Why not build it from stone? Wood, I guess would catch fire from the furnace, but --"

"If an earthbender wanted to come in and take us down, he'd be disappoiinted," she said. She processed what I was saying quickly and shrugged. "If he was expecting a war, he was really planning ahead. I mean, he has friends in the leadership of all the four nations."

"I know," I said, but in reality I couldn't shake that suspicion. What I didn't want to say aloud was the idea that maybe the Great Chief was thinking of using its newfound unity to mount a war of his own.

It didn't make sense, but it was the option that made more sense than some mysterious force that was going to invade the South Pole.

"We're almost there, Kuzon, pay attention!" she said, snapping her finger. I grunted, and looked at the door we were approaching. Indeed, it was made of metal. In fact, now that she mentioned it, I could see the metal framing around the building.

He was prepared for war, of come mysterious kind. Maybe he just didn't want a repeat of what happened in the Great War, but I couldn't quite figure why I didn't feel so at ease with that explanation.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Yeah."

She opened the door, pushing it forward. We heard someone scream, and a gruff, older voice said, "Relax, girl, there was only one man, and he's out there, beating the tar out of my best guards." His voice softened as Ananya walked out into the main hall, and I walked in behind her, looking around.

The woman who cried out was carrying a small child. She looked distraught, and not prepared for this kind of excitement. The Water Tribe was not one to put much status, but the white furs seemed to imply she was of some standing. Next to her was an old woman with a serious face and a dangerous glare at the door.

And I knew her. She was at the party. "Lady Suki?"

"Kuzon? Prince Kuzon?" her expression softened, "Did you bring your little playmate here with you or something?"

"I don't know why he's here," I answered, truthfully.

"I know, dear, I was just trying to cut the tension."

"Leave that to the pros, Suki," the man said, grinning broadly. The man's friendly, broad face put me at ease. He seemed fully confident in himself and in his safety inside the building that I was beginning to share that same confidence.

"Doesn't that mean you shouldn't try either, Uncle," Ananya asked.

"You wound me, my dear," the Great Chief said, putting a hand dramatically to his chest, "Cough! I am done in by your slings and arrows!"

What a ham.

"Why are you here, Ananya?" the scared woman said, clutching the infant close to her. "It's so dangerous."

"We came to convince you to get out of here!"

"And what would that do?" the Great Chief asked, stroking his braided, white goatee. Despite his obvious age, he seemed quite spry and capable, still carrying his arms with him, and still dressed like a Water Tribe warrior.

"It'd get your grandson out of here," Suki muttered.

"I keep telling you to go, but do you listen? No!"

"Like we'd leave without you. Why are you so stubborn."

"This was going to happen," the Great Chief said. "Isn't that right, Prince Kuzon? You know what I mean, don't you?"

I did? I was drawing a blank. How could he have known this would have happened?

"I've been preparing for this for a while," he said, smirking, "I can't leave now, not before the trap is sprung."

"What trap?" Suki's eyes widened. "You mean you've been planning this since that stupid message?"

"Yes. Yes I have," he said, his grin widening as he saw his wife slowly come into a vague understanding of his intentions. Intentions, I might add, that Ananya and I were left completely out of the loop from.

"What is he talking about, Kuzon?" she asked me, elbowing me in the ribs sharply.

"I don't know -- a message? I remember my Grandfather got one just before he was attacked by this man."

"No kidding? And what was he going to do, whip out some firebending?"

"I don't know."

"Submit, knowing him," Great Chief Sokka said, tiredly, "Zuko's a lot of things, but he's a sucker for order and honor. And this is too much of both for him to ignore. See, there's two sides to this problem, the normal, sensible side, and the Sokka side. I'm glad to hear he's finally been brought onto the Sokka side on this."

I decided it was best not to point out that he just called himsef irregular and unreasonable. "Which is?" I asked, impatiently.

"Fight back. We beat this thing once, we can do it again." He looked to the woman, who I assumed was Baku's wife. "Yukara, you get out of here with my grandson, Suki, look after her. I'll be after you once the trap is set."

"What about us?" Ananya asked. "Can we help?"

A second ago, she was for getting him out of here, now, she was all for helping him beat this guy. I couldn't figure her out, not in the slightest. The Great Chief mulled this over, and looked me over, eying me like I were some sort of slab of, of meat!

"He'll do." I gaped. I'd do? What did he have in mind. "You'd better keep out of sight in case of an emergency, Ananya."

"What? Why him?" I really would like to know that myself. Ananya was taking this poorly, her cheeks puffed up and she stared down the Great Chief with a fiery expression of defiance. "I'm a much better bender than this guy!"

"Exactly!'

Exactly? What was this guy's problem, anyway? One minute he's arguing with his wife and daughter-in-law about whether to run away or stay, now he's trying to formulate some trap that I thought he'd already rigged to go.

My temper was through the roof, "So what is your big trap, anyway."

"It's a trap, what else is there to say?" he asked. I could think of more than a few things. Before I could press him for details, he just gave me a wide smile, "You're the bait, so don't worry, you don't need to know the particulars of the trap."

"What do I do, then?" Ananya asked, her enthusiasm suddenly returning full force with the speed of a hurricane. "Do I get to wind slice him and knock him into a big net you've got conveniently placed to ensnare him."

"No, last time I tried that things didn't work out too well," the Great Chief said. "What I need you to do is make sure Kuzon here isn't where I put him when I give the signal."

"What signal?"

"You'll know it."

We will?

"But what if I don't know it?" Ananya, for the first time since I met you we appear to be on the same wavelength. I wanted to thank her for voicing my concerns until I noticed a mischievous grin on her face. Was she planning something?

"Well, then Kuzon's going to need a big warm drink to keep him from freezing to death, I guess."

That's such a comforting thought. I had a feeling that such an offer would not be made in the event of my rescuer neglecting to rescue me, however, and I stared very coldly at Ananya. I could just feel my eyes sinking into the shadows as she stood more and more uncomfortable under my scrutiny.

"I wasn't going to leave you there, relax," she said, smiling weakly. I persisted with my glower. "Kuzon, you're creeping me out. Stop it." She shrunk back, averting her glance and looked at me only sidelong, "Come on, quit it!"

I felt the Great Chief slap his hand firmly against my back, knocking me forward, "Now, now, no time for that right now, boy. We need to get you in position." He then put his helmet on my head. I was beginning to see where he was going. He threw a Water Tribe fur parka over my shoulder. "There, now you could pass for me in any court of law."

"You're kidding, right?" I admitted we were nearly on eye-level, but he was a little thicker in build than I was.

"Not at all. You've just never had to listen to lawyers speak, have you? If you dress like, speak like, or were reincarnated from someone, you're automatically guilty."

"You have got to be joking."

"At least one of those things was a joke, and it isn't the one you think it is," he said with a smirk. "Okay, positions. Stand right here and whatever you do, don't move."

And so I ended up in a flimsy disguise standing in the center of a large room, where the ceiling was far above my head and the floor beneath my feet was chilling the soles of my boots. With a clear understanding that I was currently waiting to spring a trap on a man who I knew could take down an army on his own.

I was more than a little afraid.

I couldn't see the Great Chief or Ananya, but they couldn't have gone far. The fighting outside was drawing ever closer, and I could hear Baku barking out his commands angrily at his men, I could feel the futility creeping into his voice, yet he didn't back down. I could sympathize.

"Warn the Great Chief, we can't hold this line any longer," he shouted. The crash of water got closer, and I heard the benders shouting in pain. And I could see Baku approaching, a spear at the ready, looking straight at me with fear and then sudden disbelief. "Where is my father?" he asked.

I didn't know what to say! I shrugged and nodded my head in the direction I last saw the Great Chief run. Baku hesitated, looking around. He was looking particularly hard at the nearby walls, as if he was calculating something, or perhaps looking for some hint at what was going on. "I see," he finally said.

I really wish he had time to fill me in. But he did not, as behind him loomed the man we called Hiroshi. I got a good look at him this time. He had a body of a farmer, used to heavy lifting he'd developed large muscles, complementing his broad shoulders and tanned skin. The mark on his face didn't look like any tattoo I'd ever seen before.

But there it was, a bird with three legs spread out over his eyes. "Sokka. Great Chief," he said, in that same tone he used when speaking to my grandfather, "It is time."

Baku interposed himself against me. "I will not allow you to harm my father. Turn back now."

I rolled my eyes. He was hopelessly outclassed. A line of benders couldn't hold him back, what hope would a guy with a pointy stick. I was glad I held my tongue. The second Hiroshi took his first step, Baku moved, swinging the spear in a wide arc. Hiroshi moved back, and tensed himself against the cold ice floor.

Baku looked at me, "I will try and make this convincing."

I nodded. Since he already had Hiroshi off guard, I thought his chances were a little better than convincing. He struck with a long, lancing strike, keeping his distance from his opponent. He was good, really good. Every move had the same discipline I came to expect from a bender.

I suddenly felt a little jealous. I had my firebending stripped from me by Hiroshi, and while Baku could be disarmed, he could never have the ability to fight stolen from him. Another poke, another prod, he kept Hiroshi at bay, and he looked like he had little idea how to retalliate.

Still, for Baku's skill and precision, Hiroshi's movements were still disturbingly quick and his reaction fast. He wrapped his hand around the length of the spear and pulled Baku closer, raising his other arm striking to interpose himself at Baku's movement.

Though to be honest, I didn't quite catch what Hiroshi used against me, I was suddenly aware that he was not, strictly speaking, bending. His movements were a martial art, refined and practiced, but there was no spiritual connection, merely the forms, and stranger still, they were not forms I was familiar with.

They also seemed different from what I recall him doing to me. Knocking Baku senseless seemed to be the last concern on his mind, instead, he was fighting to restrict movement. Baku's expression soured when he realized this, and dropping his spear, he drew a club from his back. The smaller weapon was better suited for the close quarters, and restricting its movement would only end up hurting Hiroshi.

Unfortunately for Hiroshi, this was a lesson he had to learn first hand. The club cracked against his arm, and he winced. Then, pulling the shattered arm back, he looked at it for a moment, bewildered. "Curious."

He then grabbed Baku's arm with that same hand.

If you've never broken an arm before, you wouldn't have any conception of how painful it is to move your hand. I've had that experience, and I don't think I could even move my arm that quickly, let alone grab someone with enough force to cause him to let go of his weapon.

Pain was etched on Hiroshi's face, but he did not react to it. It was terrifying. Shivers ran down my spine, as sudden realization came over me, realization of just how inhumanly driven Hiroshi was. Whatever Grandfather and the Great Chief had done to earn this man's wrath must have been dire.

He threw Baku to the ground and approached me. His eyes studied me, and then, hesitated. "Where is the Great Chief?"

"Couldn't tell you if I wanted to," I answered. I tried to sound unafraid, but I think my teeth chattered, giving it away.

I noticed it was getting kind of hot underfoot, and wetter. Unfortunately, Hiroshi noticed as well. He turned towards the same wall Baku stared at before, and then slowly plodded towards it. That wasn't good. "Hey!" I shouted. He turned to look at me. "I don't know what tricks you pulled last time, but I'm not going to just stand here and --" The floor was beginning to soak through my boots, and it was becoming a pretty big puddle.

And it just got faster.

I just hoped that if this was the signal, Ananya had seen it as well. I plodded backwards, just a bit, water splashing underfoot. Hiroshi looked at me and I think recognition was starting to dawn on him, but considering his stoic expression, it could have simply been my imagination. He looked down at the ground and hesitated.

I was starting to see what this trap was, and yet here I was still stuck in it. The entire room's floor was becoming an sludgy mess, by mix of waterbenders -- hidden but I was certain they were there -- and the heated water that circulated around the building.

The water began to move to surround us. Hiroshi and I had nowhere to run. "Ananya," I managed to yell, "Where are you?"

Hiroshi grabbed for me, when the wind rose itno a gale. "Stand back!" Ananya cried out. "Leave him alone!" Hiroshi, restrained already by the rising tendrils of water, could not even fully turn to face her.

"Ananya, what took you so long?"

"Baku's heavy, okay?" she shouted. I looked around for Baku, and found him nowhere, "Come on, hold on tight." I managed to sludge my way through the rapidly refreezing water and over to her, as Hiroshi's lunges were cut off by the growing force of the waterbender's trap.

"To what?" I looked at her blankly.

"Me, of course," she said. I awkwardly slung my arm around her and she gave me a look, "You call that tight?"

"You're like half my height," I complained.

"Tighter!" I did as I was instructed, and this time she seemed more pleased. "Okay, here goes!" She leapt into the air, leaving the ground miles below us as the water slammed Hiroshi into the wall with a great noise. The water immediately froze, becoming a solid prison for him. His intimidating figure was fully obscured by the thick, white ice.

Ananya touched down on a small platform of solid ice, and looked back towards a corner of the room that was hidden from sight. "Did we get him?" she asked.

"We sure did," the Great Chief said, clapping his hands, "Perfect!"

Baku seemed to have thoughts contrary to that, I thought, but he didn't raise a voice in protest. Apparently he'd just gotten accustomed to his father's eccentricities. I think I needed a lot longer before I could do that so elegantly. "You call that perfect?"

"As perfect as humanly possible, anyway," Great Chief Sokka replied. He walked across the sludgy, uneven icy floor towards the imprisoned attacker. "Now, let's go talk to our new friend."

He took the helmet off of my head and adjusted it on his. "Isn't it good that we showed up, Uncle?" Ananya asked, excitedly.

"I'm glad you did, yes, wasn't looking forward through trudging through the sludge to a safe spot," he answered. Adjusting his helmet and looking up at Hiroshi, the Great Chief grinned. "So, we meet at last, face to face."

"Great-Chief Sokka, it is time."

"No, we're not doing that, not today," he said. "I was given the basic run-down by Zuko, but just who are you, exactly."

HIroshi looked straight at Sokka. "The name you know me by is Yata-Garasu."

"Not Hiroshi? Not a farmer of the Fire Nation, accused of treason for attacking the prince, on his birthday no less?"

I'd heard that name before, Yata-Garasu. Grandfather had mentioned it before, and so had Great-Aunt Azula. He was a messenger, a three-legged bird, like the one I'd seen deliver a message to Grandfather.

"Aren't you going to answer my questions?" Great Chief Sokka asked. "And why are you after Zuko and I?"

"Your actions thirty years ago have gone against the will of the Heavens."

"Have they, really?" the Great Chief did not look pleased. "I rebuilt the Southern Water Tribe, unified my people, I have a little grandson who likes putting everything into his mouth, it's really cute, you should see what happens when it's too big for his little mouth and --"

"Dad, please stop talking about my son."

"Oh, right," the Great Chief said, grinning an even wider grin, "Later, then. Last time I checked, the spirits didn't come from their world to go, 'Hey, Sokka, maybe you should stop doing that because we don't like it.'"

"Your ignorance is no defense."

The Great Chief closed his eyes. "Fine. Yes, I know what you're talking about, but I had no part in it. I washed my hands of it, do you hear me? We will never mention it again."

Yata-Garasu stared at the Great Chief for the longest while, before he finally spoke again. "Understood, Sokka, Great Chief of the Water Tribes."

"These men will take you to your holding cell, until we can sort out this misunderstanding. Are we agreed?" the Great Chief asked. Two waterbenders were at the ready, swirling balls of water at the ready.

Yata-Garasu nodded. He looked at me, and frowned.

Why was he so fixated on me? I felt uncomfortable under those empty eyes. The ice shattered and he fell to the ground, unfazed. I winced, half expecting him to come at me with those massive fists of his.

The Benders wrapped the water around his arms, freezing them.

He walked slowly towards us, and then, without even a glance, passed us. I turned to follow him out, he did not resist the escorting guards. Hiroshi seemed fully taken by the conceit that he was Yata-Garasu. "That man is crazy," Ananya said, even though he was still well within earshot, especially considering her yelling.

"Yes, he is," the Great Chief said. "Baku, fetch your mother and wife, tell them that the danger is past. Ananya, help with the injured." He frowned, "Spirits help us, I pray he didn't seriously hurt anyone."

Then he looked at me. "And me?"

"We talk. Man to man."

* * *

The Great Chief took me to his private quarters. A modern, comfortable stretch of hallways and rooms that he kept for himself in an Earth Kingdom style. The decoration was completely of the Tribes, weapons, possibly real from the Great War, were hung on the wall, and the rooms were heated by small radiaters off to the back.

It was in one such room that I found myself talking to him.

"You seem surprised."

"I just figured your rooms would be, I suppose traditional."

"I'm old, I'm not sleeping on snow," he said, smiling, "Made my son do it, though, builds character and a sense of humor. You know how hard I tried to give that boy a sense of humor? You don't, do you."

"Not at all."

"Hard. And he's about as serious as your grandfather. No offense."

I nodded.

He took a long sigh and looked over at me. "I guess you already figured out, I got a letter just like your grandfather, same delivery method, I bet. So, especially when I heard you were attacked, I made sure to come up with some method of trapping him."

"I see." I was impressed by his resourcefulness. "But what if he came for you first?"

"I thought about that. I was willing to risk it," he said, "After all, he can't be everywhere at once, can he?" He laughed, "But really! Relax, I'm just glad your grandfather wasn't seriously hurt."

"As am I."

I could see him studying me, stroking his beard carefully. "The resemblence is scary, you know."

"I've been told," I lied.

"You know, I always liked your Dad. He knew a good joke when he heard it. You seem more like old sparks-for-brains than him, though, anyone ever tell you that?"

"Yes," I said. Even my own mother acknowledged that.

"So he sent you after the Avatar. Funny how history repeats itself," the Great Chief said. "Well, I'd love to help you get in touch with him, but as you've probably already learned, I don't know where he is."

"Ananya said she knew where he went."

"Did she?" the Great Chief seemed surprised, and I was beginning to get worried. What if Ananya was lying to me about that? "I see. I guess she has her reasons."

"For what?"

"Trusting you," he said. "She's a good girl, Kuzon, really. She's just a little overprotective of people who are important to her. Her life hasn't been very easy.. She had a lot of expectations put on her, and it isn't easy to live up to one legacy, nonetheless three."

"People expect her to be like the Avatar?"

"Or her grandmother, or even her mother," he said, "Even her father isn't a slouch. One of the best hunters in the Northern Tribe. Good kid, doesn't listen to a word I say, though."

'I think I understand."

I felt that sort of pressure too, all the time, in fact. I could remember plenty of times when those responsibilities made me just want to lock myself in my chamber and not let anyone in. However, it seemed that the Great Chief didn't agree. "It's more than that, though. She means well, never doubt that, but it's unusual that she'd tell you where the Avatar was going."

"I think I trust her to know what she's doing."

"That's for certain," he grinned. The Great Chief sighed. "How are you feeling."

"Fine."

"Are you certain?"

I narrowed my eyes, "Positive."

"Good, good," he said, unconvinced by my insistence. I felt patronized. I knew I was feeling all right. "An entire regiment of the best trained benders and warriors in the Water Tribe, taken out by one man. It's ridiculous."

"I'm sorry."

"Why? You're working with that lunatic in the prison?" he asked, grinning wryly. "Whoever that guy is, really, Yata-Garasu or some farmer from the Fire Nation, he's dangerous. I need to be careful in deciding what to do with him."

"He's clearly insane."

"He's also clearly zealous. That's the kind of madmen that start revolutions."

I suppose it was odd how calmly we were talking. I didn't do much talking, the Great Chief was more than happy to go on at length about some theory or idea he was trying to think up, but at the back of my mind I couldn't exactly look at him as an entirely benevolent leader.

The inner walls of the hall stuck out to me. A building made to be defended, which worked today to our advantage, but who could say when that would no longer be the case.

If I grew too introverted and quiet, the Great Chief didn't say anything, just continuing to talk about the decisions he, as the leader of the tribes, had to make, and the urgency. "Today was a success, but it also was an impressive show of force by a single man. He didn't even resort to any bending himself."

"Yes."

"That's not a good thing, Kuzon," he said, "It's kind of dangerous, actually. You know who else once managed to circumvent an army of guards to come face to face with the ruler of an entire kingdom?"

"The Avatar."

"Yes. Are we going to say that this man is the equal of the Avatar?"

"No."

"Maybe not you or I, but who's to stop the Lee Firenations and Hahn Watertribes out there from going, 'This guy may be the real deal.'" He sighed, heavily, "Worst part of being a leader, Kuzon, you need to see the worst in everyone. I hate that about the job. Sure everyone says I'm a pessimist, but does that mean I'm happy being a pessimist? No."

There came a knock on the door, "Great Chief, you're being requested in the audience chamber."

"Already fixed? That was fast," he said, getting up. "Come on, I suppose we can continue our chat later."

I was led out of his quarters and towards the audience chamber. The guards who were still conscious following the sudden incursion looked a little ill at ease, and they bowed their heads in shame as the Great Chief passed.

Ananya was inside the chamber waiting for us when we arrived. Aunt Azula and Kitta were besides her, and they were talking to Baku. The Great Chief cleared his throat, and, in a disappointed voice said, "What? No fanfare?"

"I think they're a little out of shape for it, Great Chief," my aunt grinned wryly. "You look like a man, my, time does fly."

"And you look like a witch," he commented, he did not seem very happy to see her, but it did not faze my aunt in the slightest. He simply took his place before us, and looked over to his son. "Everyone is safe, right?"

"Yes. My wife's terrified that our son has a fever, though," Baku said.

"Oh, your wife thinks that snow means the sky's falling down," the Great Chief said, waving it off without a second thought. "Any, well, you know."

"No, surprisingly," Baku answered coldly, "No casualties. Just a few bruised egos, I think. The man's intent wasn't to kill."

"Incredible," the Great Chief said, "Simply incredible. I'm going to need to have a long chat with that guy tonight."

"I tended to any wounded soldiers as soon as I could," Kitta said,

"Oh, it's Kitta. Hi Kitta," the Great Chief said with a wave. "How's my sister doing?"

"The usual, uh, sir," she said, awkwardly.

"Still terrifying, then, got it," the Great Chief answered. "What's wrong, Kuzon, you look surprised." I suppose I was. I never saw anyone conduct business in such a manner. He treated things so casually. "No? Okay, then." I didn't even get a chance to answer. "So, Ananya, you're going to help him find your grandfather, or so he's told me."

"Oh, uh, yes!"

"You know where he is, then?" he asked, and the way he was looking at her, it seemed pretty clear that she wouldn't be able to squirm out of answering this one. "Well?"

"Sure, sure I do! He was headed down Dragon Fang Ridge."

"Dragon Fang Ridge?" he asked, tapping his chin thoughtfully, "I wonder where he's heading if he's passing Dragon Fang Ridge."

"Who knows!" Ananya said, nervously, "He just said he had some business, and Dragon Fang Ridge was his first stop. Maybe if we hurry, he'll still be there!"

The Great Chief looked to me, and nodded, "Dragon Fang Ridge. Right, sounds good."

"Right!"

Why was it like they were trying to get their stories straight in front of me? I was beginning to doubt Ananya had any idea where the Avatar was at all. "I suppose that will be our first destination," Aunt Azula said. "I'll speak to the captain about charting a course for the nearest port."

"I'm going too!"

I swear Aunt Azula's face didn't even budge at that. Mine, however, certainly felt like it did a little vault when Ananya spoke up. "You're going too?" Aunt Azula asked, levelly. When she nodded emphatically, she nodded in return, "Very good then."

"Aunt Azula!" I protested.

"What? It'll be good to have some help locating him, don't you think?" she said, "And she is quite accomplished with airbending, it'll be a good learning experience for you."

"Right!" Ananya agreed, "Wow, you're really smart, Ma'am!"

"I know I am, Dearie," Aunt Azula said, with a vacant smile on her face. Did I get any say in this? Apparently no. The matter was decided even before I got a chance to weigh in on things.

"Considering what happened today," Great Chief Sokka said, "I'd be a real lousy host to let a Fire Nation Prince go home without a proper welcome and thanks for his part in saving me. I'm going to be having a feast, you should come."

Was that his idea of a formal invitation?

"We'd be delighted, of course," Aunt Azula said with a wave. Again, did I have any say here, or was I just going along for the ride?

"A feast in your honor, Kuzon? Lucky," Ananya said, poking me in the ribs, "I never get feasts in my honor."

"That's because you make trouble, not solve it," I answered.

"That was rude. I got you out of trouble there!"

Okay, I admit it was rude, but she was the one who invited herself onto my ship, and wasn't that rude, too? We were even now as far as I was concerned. "So, a feast," the Great Chief said. "Okay, that's going to be a while with all the commotion. So for now, why don't you make yourselves at home in the city."

"That would be wonderful. When did you become such a gentleman, Great Chief?"

"I've always been a gentleman," he bristled, "When did you become not-crazy?"

"Touche!" she retorted blankly, with a jovial chortle.

"I'm on to you," I swore he said as he narrowed his eyes at my aunt.

* * *

In comparison to the frantic pace of the last few hours, a relaxing stroll along the pituresque ramparts of the South Pole seemed surprisingly dull. We were joined at her insistence by Ananya, who was eagerly talking up a storm with my aunt.

I tried my best to keep them apart, but Kitta stopped me before I could say anything. "She doesn't mean any harm," she told me. I disagreed, and I'd known her for only a fraction of the time Kitta did. "She's truly a sweet girl, just a little overenthusiastic. Yes, that's all, overly enthusiastic."

"That's an understatement," I murmured. The walk did little to keep my attention. The torrid depths of the ocean churned endlessly, rocking boats in harbor against the docks, while the murk and green mixed with blue to form an endlessly cloudy, colorless expanse as far as the eye could see. The white icebergs in the distance were shadows beneath the surface, looming out in the slowly dying light.

"It's quite late," Kitta said, "The feast must be ready by now, despite the commotion."

"I guess so. That wasn't exactly what I expected," I said.

"Oh, I thought it was more exciting than simply sitting around waiting for the Great Chief, and I was of some help to everyone. I'm just relieved no one was seriously hurt. That is the man who attacked you, right?"

"I sort of, yes, I guess he was," I said. Technically, I'd been the one to attack him, but really, who wanted to quivel over little details. She seemed all the more sympathetic towards me.

"You poor thing," she said.

"Did any of the guards have, well, you know," I shuffled uncomfortably at the thought of mentioning my bending problems. Ananya was within earshot at this moment and she would assuredly ridicule my inability to get any decent flames going.

"No, strangely. I did keep an eye open, but, I didn't see him do anything resembling what he did with you."

I really wanted to get off this topic, since I could see Ananya's eyes stray from my aunt towards me. "Well, enough about that --"

"I know you're embarrassed, but it's perfectly all right. I'm sure the Avatar will have some answer --" It was then that the world came screeching to a halt.

"What kind of answer!" Ananya, curious as ever, put her face right up to mine, and asked again, "Come on, what's she talking about?"

"Ask her yourself!" I nearly shouted out.

"Like I want to," she said, ignoring my suggestion entirely. She was way too close, too, I could barely see under her nose, she stood on her toes to get nearly eye to eye. "Come on! I want to know!"

"Ananya, you're a little close." Let it never be said that I couldn't understate an issue. Ananya just used this as an excuse to move even closer, and her eyes narrowed. If she was annoyed I was dancing around the question, I could understand, but she seemed more irritated that I wanted her to back off.

"Answer me!"

"We were just discussing the last time Prince Kuzon and that horrible man met," Kitta said, coming to my rescue, "I wasn't there, but I heard the stories from the Fire Lord and the Crown Prince."

"Oh, really?" she finally moved outside of my space and looked towards Kitta, "What did the Fire Lord say. Was it embarrassing? I bet he got flattened!"

"Oh, well I wouldn't say flattened," Kitta was now the one under the uncomfortable scrutiny of an airbender who wanted answers. I sighed a deep, world-weary sigh and let the two of them discuss my embarrassing failure together. I suppose it could have been worse, she seemed more drawn into the story than outright amused.

"Interesting girl, that one," Aunt Azula said.

"I thought Daisuke was bad."

"The two are alike, yes," my aunt agreed, nodding her head sagely, "But she has a degree more sincerity about herself than that young man."

"Yes, I can see that," I agreed.

"I can already see she has spent most of her life with her grandfather," she said. "But Dragon Fang Ridge, such an usual place for the Avatar to go."

"Have you heard something about the area?" I wondered. When I visited her, growing up, she would often tell us about the recent going-ons of the Earth Kingdom. It seemed that no matter how remote, someone, somewhere would say something to somebody and it would end up, someway, in her tea shop, overheard by one of the waitresses and reported to her.

Dad once said that her information network put the Fire Nation's to shame.

In the end it wasn't so much a question of if she heard something, and I should have known better to ask. I should have asked her if she would tell me what she'd heard. Still, the answer was the same. "No. I don't think I'll say. Most of the fun in life is in the surprises."

"I don't like surprises," I muttered.

"Oh, relax," she laughed, "Let me think, I'll give you a teensy hint. It's nothing the Avatar would really have to worry about, but it is certainly unusual."

"Great."

"Hey, Kuzon!"

"What is it, Ananya?" I sighed. She was probably going to ask me about that guy, which would give her next than nothing new.

"So I figured you knew this guy from somewhere, but did you really try and fight him with your pathetic bending?" she wondered aloud. I winced. My bending was hardly pathetic, even now. Sure, I could barely conjure up a flame unless I really concentrated, but still, my forms were perfect. Absolutely perfect!

"It wasn't like that," I tried to explain.

"Sure it wasn't. So, why did you do it? Weren't there like guards there? Isn't your grandfather like a legendary firebender?"

"My grandfather's not exactly a young man anymore, either," I stated, pointedly. "And I wasn't exactly thinking. I just reacted."

"Oh," she said.

I asked, "Why?"

She said, "I don't know. It just seemed awfully heroic of you."

What was that supposed to mean? I couldn't even think of a proper response to that, it just seemed to be said in such a way that it sounded like an insult. Was she implying that I wasn't a heroic sort? I wasn't precisely one for leaping into harm's way, but recently events tended to throw me into it. And, as I thought about it, almost every incident of it came about because of Ananya.

I opted to glower at her in lieu of responding.

"Hey, cut that out!" she answered my glower by looking away. I took a victory where I could find it. "So, let's go get some grub!"

"This feast is in my honor, remember," I said, reminding her of my heroism. I felt so smug even I was a little annoyed. She kneeled down, suddenly and I stopped, while Aunt Azula and Kitta carried on, talking.

Then I was pelted with snow.

I didn't react for a minute, just savoring the stinging sensation on my forehead and the dripping of the cold, melting snow down my face. Ananya laughed, uproariously. "Got you!"

There remained no other discourse, I knew this for certain. Words having failed, the arsenal must be built. I looked down at the drifts of snow around me. I smiled. "Kuzon, what are you doing?" I didn't even pay much attention to Ananya's fearful voice as I packed the snow in my hands.

Intuitive, graceful, elegant. Yes, this was the ultimate solution.

* * *

Soaked and yet completely satisfied, we were ushered into the dining hall looking a little like we'd just taken a swim. Ananya's idea to blow-dry us with airbending reached an unfortunate snag when she managed to kick up enough snow in the gust that we ended up more soaked than when we started, and I just decided we'd live with it.

So, smiling ear to ear, we both looked like a bit of a sight, and I tried, desperately, to hide my own silly amusement with the situation when we entered the somber room, and saw that Aunt Azula and Kitta were not there.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"We're very sorry," one of the guards said, "There's been a change in plans. We've prepared a guest room for you all. Prince Baku will be around to explain once everything is under control."

I frowned.

Prince Baku, and not the Great Chief himself? That sent off something in my head. Something had changed, all right. "Okay, fine." Ananya took my arm, tugging it softly. I looked at her, and it was clear from the look she gave me she'd come to a similar conclusion. "Let's go, Ananya."

She nodded and took me to the guest chambers. It wasn't in the main hall, but it was built very close. A simple, but comfortable building of ice and snow. Kitta and Aunt Azula's things were in the main room, and I could hear a tea kettle going off somewhere.

"So," I said, a little unused to the communal nature of Water Tribe buildings, "What do you think happened."

"Something happened to Uncle Sokka, that's all I can figure," she said. "I wonder what happened? Do you think he got sick?'

"He seemed fine earlier," I said, "That seems really unlikely."

"Maybe Baku's got something planned to take over the Water Tribes!" she gasped, excitedly. "Yes, I can see it now. All this time, he's been planning something, something insidious. This was his chance, and he took it!"

"First off, Baku's not responsible for this," I said. "Trust me, I can see he loves his father."

"That just makes it the perfect crime!"

Okay, am I getting through? I couldn't express my absolute befuddlement at just what Ananya was saying. If Baku was going to take over the Water Tribes, now would be the worst possible time, since even if he could somehow pin the blame on Hiroshi, it would only end up making the South look bad and probably lead to a split of the two tribes.

I frowned, "That's not what happened."

"How do you know?"

"I'm smarter than you," I muttered, under my breath. I hoped she didn't hear that. But if she did, she didn't say anything. I took a deep breath, and said, simply, "If I was going to take over the two tribes, I'd do something to make sure they wouldn't get split up in the transition. Baku's not stupid, and he's not evil. He's just grumpy."

"Grumpy is a sure sign of evil. That's why I've got my eye on you."

Another absolutely insane comment from Ananya, I concluded, and moved on without a second thought. I was getting better at filtering her comments into two piles based on relevence to the matters at hand. "Regardless, I don't think Baku's responsible. I'm worried that Hiroshi did something."

"That crazy guy?" she asked. "I guess. If you wanted to be boring. But he's locked up! No problems whatsoever."

"This guy disappeared from the Palace the night he attacked my grandfather," I said, "And he just walks off in chains like that? I don't buy it."

"Kitta didn't mention that," she said, her eyes alight, "He's got magic powers?"

"I don't know," I said, "Maybe he's just good at hiding, but either way, he's dangerous and I don't think he's going to stay locked up. If he broke out, and if the Great Chief went there to question him, then, you put one and one together."

"And then Uncle Sokka -- oh no!"

I was proud of her, she actually managed to put all of that together without a strange and unexpected misunderstanding or poor leap of logic. Maybe, just maybe, there was hope for her yet.

I didn't have much chance to elaborate with her, because at that moment the Prince showed up at our door, flanked by two guards. He had a frown on his face and he looked at me. "You, come with me."

I got up and came up to him. "What about Ananya, or my Aunt."

"Just you," he said. "Come on." They turned, expecting me to follow after as they went. I noticed Ananya looking at me slyly, as if she was somehow going to prove her theory over mine just by merit of Baku's strange behavior.

I sighed, shrugged, and followed Baku out into the streets towards the Great Hall. He did not speak a word until he was certain we were alone. The Great Hall's audience room was very different than ours in the Palace, it was more of a meeting of equals than the Fire Lord's near-divine appearance behind the flames upon the stage.

"What I am about to say can be repeated to no one," he said. I looked nervously at him, his cold, hardened expression seemed to waver slightly and he closed his eyes to hide the sudden lapse in mood.

"What happened?"

"No doubt you've already figured out that the prisoner escaped," he told me, opening his eyes to study my reaction. If I let any expression slip, he didn't say, but I felt like I remained collected. I all but knew that was going to happen. "Father was there questioning him during the break-out. No one was seen entering or leaving the area after him, but he is definitely no longer there."

"Who, Hiroshi?"

"Yes, and my father."

I paused. "He's missing?"

Baku nodded, "And now you must know what I'm going to ask you. You will be searching for the Avatar. In addition to your nation's requests, I would ask you to bring along a request from me." He frowned, trying to find the words, "You're under no obligations. I am not the Great Chief, and I don't pretend to be. This is just a request."

Yes, I could see that. He was imploring me, not commanding me. "Why me?"

"Because I do not want it getting out that we're at a complete loss. If this is a kidnapping, we will look like fools, but I can think of nothing else. We will be scouring the South Pole for him, but the Avatar's help would certainly make things easier."

"I don't understand," though I had some ideas why.

"I don't want to be the Great Chief, not yet. My son, you saw him, he's only a few months old, and father spends as much time of his day as he can to look after him. And Mom's already fretting, and my wife's a mess -- he's my father!"

"You want him back."

"Of course I do," he snapped. That was just for my sake, though. I could certainly rub it in Ananya's face when the opportunity came up. I was getting awfully competitive with her, but it was her fault, entirely.

"I'll do what I can," I said. "Hopefully we'll find him in Dragon Fang Ridge, and it won't take long at all."

"I hope so," Baku told me. "Thank you,Prince Kuzon."

I frowned. Things were already getting more complicated than I anticipated, and in the pit of my stomach, I had a feeling that this was only the beginning of my troubles. Tomorrow, I would have to set a course to the Earth Kingdom, and Dragon Fang Ridge, there was no time to waste.

_To be continued._


	6. The Zaibatsu

_**Spirits Like White Lightning**_

_By Iain R. Lewis_

_Disclaimer: Avatar belongs to Nickelodeon. Kuzon, Ananya, and any other new characters belong to me._

**Chapter 6: **_The Zaibatsu_

We left the South Pole shortly after.

I did not miss it, and on the first night, when the clear night sky let the moon shower the sea with silvery light, I retreated to my chambers and allowed myself a chance to warm my chilled fingers. I was unused to cold, as a firebender I adapted my body heat to make up for the cold whenever I encountered it, but of late, I felt the cold more pronounced than before.

I rubbed my hands together, I felt a shiver down my spine, and I set myself down with parchment and ink. I stretched out the parchment and picked up a brush, dipping it in the black ink and writing.

I thought to write Nadesico, and to ask her how things were going back in the Fire Nation. A wave of nostalgia overtook me. The Fire Nation never got as cold as it was down here in the South Pole, so I thought to write about it.

I'm no poet, and I kept my sentences short and to the point. It was cold - stop - I missed her - stop. It was very simple, but I wanted to make it clear that my thoughts were with her. My brush flew as I transcribed in simple detail the events that transpired.

I smiled at the thought of the snowball fight Ananya and I had. I really wasn't great with words, I'd simply written, 'Threw snowballs at Ananya - airbender girl - and got wet. Was fun,' and didn't really capture the thrill.

In frustration, I threw the paper aside, and prepared to start again when I noticed the ink spilling over another parchment.

I'm not really clumsy, but there were times when it felt like it. Now was distinctly one of those moments. With a shout, I threw aside the parchments -- as I soon found it seeped into a couple more underneath the first -- and searched for a clean sheet.

A knock and a worried voice came from my door. "Kuzon? Are you okay?"

"Ananya?" I answered, trepidatiously.

I still didn't know what to think about Ananya. The airbender was certainly fitting in with the crew. She was curious and eager to learn, throwing herself into everyone's roles with as much enthusiasm as the last and asking questions that the crew seemed more than happy to answer. I got the distinct feeling that they didn't get to talk about their job very often.

At the same time, when it came to me, she was always just a little too close. I liked her, I supposed, and I was thankful for her help, but I didn't really know whether or not I'd consider her a friend.

She, on the other hand, seemed more than happy to proclaim our friendship from the smokestacks. "I just heard you shout."

Her quarters were nowhere near mine I immediately realized. "How?"

"Well," she said, apprehensively, "I was going to come and see if you wanted to go do something. The night shift just came on and they seem kind of busy so I didn't want to bug them --"

"I was kind of busy."

"Oh," she said, disappointment lacing that single muttered word.

I was convinced she'd given up when, mood shifting fast enough to give me whiplash, she chirped, "Doing what!"

"I was writing a letter."

"Oh-ho!" she said, like a cat that found a mouse, "Writing to your _girl_friend?"

"Yes," I said, absolutely dumbfounded as to why she thought this was so funny.

"Ooh!" she said, voice low, and I could hear the tittering escaping her lips, "Can I see?"

"For your information, I haven't written anything yet. And even if I had, no."

She groaned. "Why not?"

"It's private," I said.

"So? You can trust me, Kuzon! Come on! Let me see!"

"I told you, I haven't written anything down!" She was infuriating! Was she just picking and choosing what to hear and what to casually ignore?

"I thought you were just saying that," she said, "But, why not?"

I was getting tired of talking through the door. I opened it and found she'd been leaning against it while we were talking. She nearly fell flat on her face as her resting spot stopped being perpendicular to her shoulder.

"Whoa, give me some warning next time!" she shouted, and I grinned.

"Why not, what?" I asked, trying to hide my satisfaction.

"Why haven't you written anything yet? Don't know what to talk about? Not a good sign. Relationships are all about talking, that's what my mom used to say. They can be dashing and brave all they want, but that stuff wears off while a man who can talk has staying power."

"Fascinating," I drone. Did she ever know anything about what she was talking about, or did she just regurgitate tired old sayings she picked up from who knows where?

"It's true!"

"I'm just not big on writing."

"You're in luck!" she said, "I wrote to Gran Gran all the time, so I got lots of practice letter writing. The big thing is to make sure that you don't go overboard."

I stared at her for the better part of a minute. "Great," I said, weakly. I couldn't quite imagine a word that better described Ananya than overboard.

"Hey, it's true! You can't tell them everything, but you got to give them enough so they know you've got stories you want to tell them when you see them next. I have so much I can't wait to tell Gran-Gran, for example."

"Well, I'm not writing to my parents or Grandfather Zuko," I told her. She raised her brow, and then a smile crept across her lips.

"Oh. Oh ho ho!" she looked rather frightening in the candlelight. "Now I see! Now I understand! It's not just any letter, is it? It's a _love_ letter! Good thing for you, I can write those, too."

"Who do you write love letters to?"

"No one in particular," she said. "I just did it for fun. You know that I live in an old monastery, right? It's _boring_."

While I could understand that, I could think of several reasons why writing love letters in a monastery was unusual without batting an eye.

"So, I wrote a bunch. Plus, I'm a girl. You are turning away an opportunity to wow this girl with your sweet, compassionate side."

"What?"

"Girls love a guy who's in touch with his feelings."

"Not fair to generalize," I grunted. She smiled at me in response, and took the brush from me and began to write on the clean parchment. "What are you doing!"

"I'm writing a letter," she said, "Duh. Now what was her name again?"

"Give that to me," I said, reaching for the brush. She pulled it back and grinned at me. "Ananya, that is not yours."

"I'm using it, Kuzon, it isn't polite to just take things. So what's her name?"

"What?" I couldn't even begin to form words I was so angry with her. "It's Nadesico!" I bark, frustrated.

"Well, let's see. Tell me about Nadesico, what's she like? Is she pretty?"

I pause, taking a deep breath, before I finally give up. "She's beautiful," I say, averting my eyes from Ananya, lost in thought. "She has the most beautiful hair, her eyes are soft and warm and -- why am I talking about this with you?"

"'cause I asked?"

I couldn't fault that logic. "Look, she's special. I've known her since we were kids."

"Well, that's nice and all, but what about her?"

"She's delicate, and very kind. She took care of me after that man attacked me and my grandfather. My cousins think she's too good for me -- probably right, stupid twins."

"Oh, come on," Ananya said, smiling, "You're not that bad. I have higher standards, personally, but, I'm sure she likes you just fine."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"You're welcome."

"I was being sarcastic."

"That's fine, too. I'm good with whatever."

"I don't get you," I muttered. I look over her shoulder, trying to make out what she brushed against the parchment.

"No, no peeking."

"What?"

"I'll let you see when we're done. Okay, now, how do you feel about her?" she asked, her voice was surprisingly serious. "I mean, I know, you're a guy, that's hard, but still, try."

How I felt about Nadesico was very clear to me. She was important, more than that, she made me feel like I could do anything. Her smile alone was reason enough for me to go on, and I couldn't fight my own smile when I saw her.

Unfortunately, when I tried to say that, I just sort of said, "I love her, okay?"

"Wow, did you pop an artery there?" she said, grinning. "You love her, fine, but what does that mean to you?"

"Can't you just put something down?" I asked, frustrated beyond measure. This was such a pointless exercise, I didn't even know why I was doing this.

"No, this is your letter, from the heart. I'm just helping you put it down on paper. That's it."

I grumbled angrily, and tried to find a way to put my feelings into words. "It's like, I want her to be happy, okay?"

"That's good!" she said.

"And, I don't know, her smile just lights up the room."

"Also good, bit trite, though," she said. "I'm getting the sense she likes sappy stuff anyway. Okay, what else?"

"I don't know!"

"You don't?" she asked me, tilting her head to get a better look at me. "You're lying, Kuzon, I can see it!"

"Look, I want to be a better man, just so I don't do her wrong, okay? Stuff like that."

"You really mean that," she said, looking me over with a critical eye. "I'm impressed." I blinked. Did that mean something? I couldn't even get a read on her. That was the other thing about Ananya that left me confused.

As was clear, Ananya did nothing halfway. She always presented herself with such a degree of energy that I couldn't even figure out where she got all of it from. But then, in moments like this, I caught a glimpse of something under the surface, a deeper layer to the girl.

It left me baffled.

"So," she said, resuming her cheery disposition without so much as batting an eye, "Oh! What else did you want to tell her about?" She caught a glimpse of something, looking at me, and scurried over to the discarded pieces of parchments.

"Aha! You did write something!" She read it over, and giggled furiously. "You write like a stone!"

"I'll thank you not to read that."

"Hey, Kuzon, you're lucky I decided to help," she said, putting the parchment down, "Girls don't like it when you go on about other girls."

"Huh?"

"You mentioned me more in that than you mentioned her."

"It was a bad draft," I muttered.

"Well, yeah, but," she smiled, "I'm glad I made an impression."

How could she not? She was unique, that was certain.

It was there that I realized that despite my guarded behavior around her, Ananya found a way to become a friend even in such a short amount of time. I didn't outwardly acknowledge it, of course, and even inwardly, I fought against the notion, that cautious part of me warning to keep my distance.

It was a subtle change, but I felt it.

"Ananya," I said, suddenly, "You were the only person I met in the South Pole who wasn't a complete jerk."

"Hey! Uncle Sokka's cool."

"Maybe," I said, grinning, "Still kind of a jerk."

"Okay, fair enough," Ananya smiled. "Gran-Gran calls him a macho idiot, I think it's more accurate. Baku's a jerk, though."

"Agreed."

"Still," she said, "Let's send her this one."

I read it over.

_Nadesico,_

_We have just left the South Pole. I find myself thinking about the warmth of your eyes as we pass the icebergs and head to warmer weather. The sea is beautiful, but it doesn't compare to you. I wish I could be back home._

_You're too good for me. I've never met a kinder girl. I love you, I want nothing more than for you to be happy. Your smile lights up the room, and it pains me to be apart from it. You make me work to be a better man._

_I will see you soon,_

And a spot blank for me to sign my name in my own handwriting. I looked at Ananya, who stared back with wide eyes, waiting for adulation.

I think I was going to have a cavity. That was the most saccharine thing I'd ever read!

"Hey, you don't like it, then don't come whining to me," she said, her expression turning to mild annoyance, "I only had what you gave me to work with. Mr. I Wanna Be a Better Man."

"Fair enough," I grumbled. I looked at it and my shoulders sunk further. "Well, it's okay, I guess. It's sort of what I feel like."

"You need to loosen up," Ananya said. "People are always like that!"

"Like what?" I asked, surprised by her frustration."

"Building up little walls around themselves. It's so wrong!" She crossed her arms in a huff. "How is she going to know how you feel about her if you can't even get it out in the open." I blinked, surprised by her vehemence. Also, I was a bit taken aback by how wrong she was. Just because I didn't let it show around a girl I just met a few days ago, it didn't exactly reflect on how I treated Nadesico.

Of course, talking to Ananya, it was hard to get a word in edgewise. "If you push people away, Kuzon, you diminish everyone."

I shook my head, "How do you figure?"

"Look, it's simple. The four elements? There's the illusion that they're all different, but they're not. Not really, anyway," she said, "They're all parts of the same whole. If we think of it like that, doesn't it make sense that us all being different is just as big an illusion?"

"I don't think it works that way," I muttered, deadpan.

"Why not? Can you prove it?" The burden of proof did not fall on me! I shook my head, and began to protest when she cut in, "Exactly! We're all wrapped up in us against them, when we shouldn't be trying to divide everyone."

I drooped my head. She was so enthusiastic about this, and it showed she spent a lot of her time with her grandfather. This sounded like Avatar stuff, and here I was, sixteen and more focused on getting my duties out of the way so I could go home, trying to decipher a girl prattling on about Avatar business that she barely understood.

"Sometimes people gain the world and lose their selves," she stared at me, trying to stare through me with those silver eyes of hers. "Are you one of them?"

"No!"

"Good!" she laughed. "Wow, you look like you got pale all of a sudden."

"Where did you come up with all that stuff about, you know, that stuff. It sounds all --"

"Avatar-y?" she asked, "Yeah, Grandpa goes on about it all the time, especially when he's trying to teach me airbending. It's really funny trying to learn from him. He's not that great at teaching. Like," she tapped her finger to her lips pensively, "Oh! Like, say you're good at drawing." I really wasn't, but she waved her hand, "Doesn't matter if you're not, just say for now. Okay, so now say you try and teach me, someone who's never drew a flower or something in their life how to draw a flower."

"Okay."

"Okay, so, you can show me how you draw a flower, but is that going to help me learn how to do it myself?"

"I guess not."

"Grandpa's amazing with Bending. He's a master of all elements, and he learned them faster than anyone ever!" That may be a hyperbole, I amended mentally, "And yet, he can't really teach me the basics so great."

"But you're learning."

"Yep, I'm learning, slowly but surely," she said. "I can't exactly get picky over my masters, can I?"

They were kind of in demand, weren't they. I sighed, shaking my head and standing up. "Thank you, for your help."

"You're welcome, Kuzon! Now I can't wait to hear what she thinks of my love letter to her."

I stared at her, blankly for the better part of the minute.

"Oh, I'm kidding, Kuzon!"

I sigh, "I don't know whether or not to be disappointed by that."

It was her turn to stare blankly.

"Joking." I smirked. "Good night, Ananya."

"You told a joke." Yes, I did, I wanted to add, I tell a lot of them, I just keep them internalized because it would ruin my cool image. But, well, it would, wouldn't it?

"Good night, Ananya," I said again, with more emphasis.

"Oh. Good night," she said, walking stiffly out of my room. I closed the door behind her and settled myself in, thinking thoughts of home and of Nadesico, and briefly I wondered if Ananya and her would get along at all.

"Probably scare her, actually," I said aloud to no one as I fell half asleep on my pillow.

* * *

"You want me to what?"

I could hardly get the words out. Aunt Azula stared at me, her eyes those slithering snake-like amber that would not let me escape. She crossed her arms, and narrowed those eyes, like a seasoned predator eying her prey.

"I want you to start training under me."

"Just because my condition is stopping my bending --"

"You are out of practice. Your breathing is completely wrong," she said, brief and succinct. She grabbed my wrist and pulled me along. Her thin arms deceptive, hiding her strength to the casual observer, I could do little but follow, and I found myself dragged to the front of the deck, where the sound of the sea was loud.

"You know, I think you're making too big a deal out of this," I protest. "My breathing is fine. I haven't even eaten breakfast yet, Aunt Azula."

"All the better," she answered, smiling wryly. "You will spend the next hour practicing your breathing exercises. Everytime you fail, I will add an additional hour to your time. The better you do, the faster you eat, yes?"

"Fine," I said, accepting without a thought. "Let's get this over with."

At around the third hour of practice I spotted Ananya out of the corner of my eye, carrying a plate of food. Although my back was to her, I imagine the scene she saw would have brought a big, goofy smile to her face. There I was, my teeth grinding themselves to dust in frustration as Azula added another hour to my time for a cough.

"You can't possibly --"

"Another hour."

"Aunt Azula!"

"Another hour."

"This is ridiculous! I coughed, so what?"

"A cough in the middle of a life or death struggle would be your life, that's what," she said, calmly. "And also, that's another hour."

"So we're up to, what, a day now?" I choked.

"And two hours," she said, "Make that three."

"Is this some kind of joke?" I shouted.

"It's pretty funny, Miss Azula!" Ananya laughed. "I brought Kuzon some breakfast. I thought he might be hungry since your training is so important." I was famished, Ananya, I tried to shout, but I saw that warning gleam in Azula's eyes.

"He's quite fine. Until he can manage to breathe properly, we won't be leaving this spot." Oh, please let this be some sort of sick practical joke, Aunt Azula!

"So, what about sleeping? What's he going to do about that?" Ananya asked, taking a seat besides me. "I mean, we're almost to Ming Xi Bay, isn't it kind of important that he not be a total mess when he meets Grandpa?"

Aunt Azula looked at Ananya appreciatively, "Thank you for reminding me, Ananya."

"No problem!"

"Until we finish this exercise, I will monitor your breathing while you sleep."

"What?" I shouted.

"Another hour."

"She got you there!" Ananya sniped from behind a smirk. At that moment, I swore that if it turned out that she was in on the joke, there would be no witnesses when I got my revenge.

Aunt Azula sighed, looking at the plate, and then at me. "Fine, that's enough for now. I'm surprised you lasted this long, Kuzon. Remarkable patience."

"Patience? This was to teach me patience?"

"Hm? What was?" Aunt Azula asked, acting all innocent. I narrowed my eyes.

"Making me do mind-numbing breathing exercises for three hours with no end in sight."

"No, no," Aunt Azula said, wearing an airy old smile, "That was just because you look so funny when you get angry."

I think I felt my left eye twitch. It really felt like it did. I wished I had a mirror.

Ananya was coming out of a laughing fit. She _was_ in on it, after all! "Oh, classic Azula," she said, wiping a tear from her eye. "I didn't think you'd be able to fool him that long!"

"Classic Azula?" I repeated, incredulously. "You just met my aunt!"

"Oh, didn't I mention that Ananya and I have been getting to know each other. I think she's just a marvelous young lady, don't you agree, Kuzon?" I don't have to answer that, do I? "Anyway," she said, waving her hand dismissively, as if she read my mind. It was always scary when she did that. "She and I have had some very interesting conversations."

"Yeah? Do I want to know?"

"Probably not," Ananya said. There were times I felt like I was being punished for something I did. This was one of the times.

"Eat up, Kuzon, we'll be starting your basic forms afterwards. I don't want my nephew to go around making a fool out of himself because he can't remember his stances properly."

"I remember my stances fine," I said, "And every kata you could imagine."

"Oh?" Aunt Azula said, raising her brow, "Would you care to prove it?"

"Eagerly," I said, narrowing my eyes in return.

"He can spar against me!" Ananya said. "That way, if he beats me, he can go and do whatever he wants, but if he loses --"

"Then I get to go through all of the basics until my eyes bleed?" I finished for her. The smile on her face was so wide I figured I'd got it in one.

Still, the food wasn't so bad, and with some strength I felt pretty confident that with or without my bending at full power, I'd be able to take on Ananya. It wasn't as if she was a master airbender, after all.

What was that old saying?

Pride comes before the fall?

I stood, stretching and falling into a basic Firebending stance -- not a preferred one, by any stretch, but I didn't think I needed to be fancy. Ananya for her part seemed to be just content to roll her shoulders and look over expectantly. "Now, be polite, Kuzon," she teased, and I sighed.

I bowed, and she bowed in turn. "Let's just do this," I muttered.

"Sure thing!" she said, spinning her entire body around in a complete circle, and launching a gust of wind so strong that it nearly bowled me over right then and there. My stance completely thrown into disarray, and with Ananya moving to press the assault, I didn't have time to pull myself back together. I had to move!

The next gust of wind was just as strong, but this time I was on the move. It pushed me to a standstill, even as I pushed my feet to trudge through it. Ananya frowned, and then sighed, "Okay, guess it won't be over that fast."

My eye twitched. The girl was underestimating me! I couldn't count on keeping in the middle of the range with my firebending, so I had to get close, and that was where I was reaching troubles. Ananya would not stand still. She would get close to me on her own terms, disorient me with a few gusts and then cover her escape with a full gale.

Keeping to my back, I could hardly keep up with her. The girl may not be approaching the rank of master, perhaps, but she was _good_.

Still, she was going to mess up, I just knew it. All I had to do was keep my wits about me and wait for that perfect time to switch the pace of the fight to my favor.

I caught her out of the corner of my eye, moving with the wind to her back, her palm reaching out to push the air out in front of her. I could see an opening, and I took it. I moved in by throwing her arm out of its thrust, and pulling her in front of me.

Small though they were, little bursts of fire were enough to give me that added push. "Yikes!" Ananya shrieked. "That's hot!"

I smirked, spinning my feet out in a long sweep, kicking up a small line of fire at her feet. Now she was in my range, and I could push the offensive. Even with my stunted bending, my offensive was impressive. Favoring precision over usual sweeping fiery bursts, Ananya's feet became my target. Keeping her from really making an escape would give me time to find that opening I needed to finish this.

She hopped from foot to foot as my flames wreathed the floor. "Okay, maybe this isn't going to be that easy," she muttered. Why was she talking at a time like this, anyway? Shouldn't she be focusing.

You've got to be kidding me, if my attack wasn't using both of my hands, I would have slapped my forehead. It was too late though, as I finally remembered what Ananya had done the first time I met her.

For as soon as I remembered, she leapt up into the air and with a spin, propelled a gust of wind on top of me, knocking me to the ground from the force. "Forgetting how your opponent fights will cost you, Kuzon," Aunt Azula lectured from the sideline.

"Like it matters," I said, angrily. "See, I know my forms, Aunt Azula."

"It never hurts to practice them," she said, "Besides. Your forms were hardly perfect. You couldn't even hold them under pressure." I wanted to point out there was a difference between pressure and a hurricane hitting you full-bore, but she ignored me anyway, "Very good showing, Ananya. You truly are the Avatar's student."

"Oh, gee, thanks," Ananya said, blushing over the compliments like a small child. "I try, y'know?"

"Kuzon could learn a lot from you, dear," Aunt Azula said, and with a dawning fear, I realized what my Aunt was planning. "I think you should join us during our training."

That was the last straw. With a shout of anger and a burst of flames, I took my wounded pride and decided I'd lick it away from those crazy girls. I could hear Ananya murmur as I walked away, "Why didn't he do that when we were sparring?"

In the end, I found myself on the bridge, looking over the charts and noting our course. It was a relief to get some time to just think, anyway, and I fully savored every second.

"Ming Xi Bay is only a day away," the captain reminded me, "You needn't worry yourself over it, Prince Kuzon."

"Not worried," I grunt, a bit frustrated, "I'm just trying to figure out more about where we're headed after this."

"Miss Azula suggested that afterwards, we will meet here, at " he pointed to the chart, pointing to a harbor approximately the same distance from Dragon Fang Ridge as Ming Xi, "We'll be there for a few days while you travel by land, but the crew could do with some time."

"Yes," I murmured. "Ming Xi is a rather big bay."

"It is, isn't it?" the captain agreed, "I suppose that's why the Mizukaze Zaibatsu have taken an interest in it. Bigger than any harbor in the Fire Nation, that's for sure." I nod. The Mizukaze Zaibatsu's ships were the finest make in the world, and as such, they were in high demand. A bay like Ming Xi would allow for an impressive boatyard, to be certain.

"I guess we'll have to say hello," I said, though my heart wasn't in it.

"Proper etiquite, certainly," the captain said, "Off the record, those people aren't worth it. Built the Western Dragon, came to see it off on its maiden voyage, so I met the Mizukaze personally."

"Not nice?"

"Head quite firmly up their collective -- pardon, your majesty, I forget myself."

I smiled. I actually came to quite like the captain. Compared to court, the captain carried the right amount of command and presence without getting wrapped up in the ceremony and backstabbing that the larger families were known for. Besides, he would often say what everyone was thinking, even if he would apologize for it more often than not.

"Don't worry, I think I know what you mean," I said, smiling. "Still, someone has to do it."

"Better you than me, sir," he said, flashing me a quick grin. I nodded, feeling a lurch in my stomach as the ship crashed over a particularly choppy patch. "Everything all right?"

"Yes, I think so," I said. "Why?"

"Just looked a little green there, sir," he said, "Your father was always getting sick on this ship."

"No, I'm fine," I said. I never got seasick before, I didn't see why now would be any different.

"Right. Just a question, your majesty, and if I'm out of line --"

I nodded, "It's fine."

"Well, it's about that girl," he said, "The airbender."

"Is there a problem with Ananya?" I wondered, suddenly more curious than angry at either the captain or Ananya. "What did she do this time?"

"Nothing, really," the captain answered, "Just curious as to why you decided to allow her to come with."

I hesitated. "I do hope you're not implying something. Ananya is the Avatar's granddaughter. She knows where he went and she insisted on coming along. If you'd like to talk her out of it, be my guest, but I can't exactly order her around."

"Of course you can, sir, she's a guest on your ship."

"Not the point," I muttered.

"Maybe not. Still, it's refreshing to have someone so enthusiastic aboard. The crew are taken with her, I think. She adds a bit of sunshine to the ship, Prince Kuzon, and I think it was the right call to bring her along."

"Thanks for the input, Captain," I answered, grinning, "Just keep her from blinding the crew with sunlight."

"Of course, sir," he said. "My crew are the best at what they do, after all."

I nod. The lurching of my stomach didn't calm down all that much as the water got smoother, and I felt my legs start to wobble. "I'll talk to you later, Captain."

"Prince Kuzon," he said, nodding cordially as I left the bridge.

* * *

I ate a meager lunch and skipped dinner entirely that day because my stomach just couldn't bear the thought of food, and I found myself spending the time just watching the distant Earth Kingdom mountains peek through the mist.

They looked a bit like giants in the distance, with craggy old faces hewn in long ago, scowling and frowning at the sea that they watched over. I groaned, and let my head hang over the rail and stared down at the blue-green sea.

My stomach felt blue, and my face looked green, so I felt a bit more comfortable watching it go by on the merits of sympathy. My nose was beginning to feel clogged with spirits knows what at that time, and my head was pounding.

I came to the only logical conclusion. I was sick -- no doubt because of Ananya. I did not have time to plot revenge, however, as my mind screeched in protest at my attempts to think. I kind of wished the human skull could have holes put in it to release some pressure, but the royal physician maintained that was no longer done.

He was probably lying, anyway, I muttered to myself.

The rocking of the boat did little to help my aching stomach and shutting my eyes did nothing but make the pulse of the headache visual on the backs of my eyelids.

"You don't look so hot."

I tried not to sneer as I turned in the direction of the voice, "Ananya, what do you want?"

"You weren't at dinner. If you're not feeling so good, you should get to bed."

"Lying down isn't helping," I muttered. And neither was she.

"Well, yeah, but if you don't get sleep it's just going to get worse. I know a few remedies, basics my mom picked up here and there."

"I thought she could just," I waved my hands vaguely, "And make it all better."

Ananya could barely suppress a snicker, "Oh yeah, like that'll solve everything. Waterbending's good, but it's not a cure-all solution. Sometimes you need to know simpler methods. And I bet your aunt has just the stuff!"

The look of dread that washed across my face did little to stop her from marching down to Aunt Azula's room. Without a functioning brain, I could little to avoid her when she returned carrying a cup of tea, still steaming, and held it up to my lips, "Drink this."

The smell was bad enough, but when I finally opened my mouth and she forced it down, I was certain that my stomach was going to empty into the ocean.

But it didn't. In fact, after a bit, I felt better. It didn't remove the nausea foaming in my stomach or the headache, but the edge was gone and I could concentrate a little. "That was something," I murmured.

"Tastes awful, doesn't it?" she grinned. "Oh well, bitter medicine is the best solution. I'm just glad your aunt had the right ingredients, or else I'd have had to improvise."

That reminded me, I hadn't told my aunt I loved her recently.

"Still! Feeling better?"

"Much," I grunted.

"Good! Now get to bed, lay down, feel better. Tomorrow we'll be in Ming Xi!"

"You ever been?"

She shook her head, "We don't really go to port towns when we have a sky bison. Flying is so much more convenient."

"So your grandfather didn't stop there on his way to Dragon Fang Ridge?"

She shrugged, "He could have, but who knows. Still, I heard there's a shipyard there. We should go check it out!"

I didn't really want to go to a shipyard, personally. The smell of tanned hides in the South Pole had put me off from the idea, and with my stomach doing backflips, I figured it'd be best to just wave that idea aside and head down to bed.

* * *

It didn't come quick, but after a while, I was overtaken by dizziness, like an extreme exhaustion that was welling behind the surface and just now de€cided to emerge, like a volcano. My sight blurred, and I felt like I'd only felt once before in my life.

It was like my body was pierced, and yet my mind was apart from it. I could feel my eyelids droop and yet I couldn't find myself caring. The world was a distant concern. It felt like my spirit had become disconnected.

Fever dreams overtook me.

They came like snippets of a larger vision, strewn about on a landscape that I couldn't quite place. The mountains moved, massive and lethargic, their steps like slow-motion across a river. And I was on a boat, on that river, sliding further through it.

I saw Omashu in the distance.

I saw more boats behind me, large boats black atop the blue surface moving like menacing shadows across a marmalade sky.

The black bird in the sky blotted out the sun, its massive wings landing atop the mountainous kingdom, and snatching it in the middle talon.

It turned in the sky, soundless and menacing, turning towards me. The beads around its neck buffetted by the wind as it soared closer to me.

* * *

"We're here! Wake up! Wake up!"

And that was reality, rearing its head at me. My head was clear, my stomach was surprisingly settled, and my joints all seemed to be free of ache, and when I climbed out of bed, I felt refreshed. I stretched, even as the screeching sound at the other end of my voice became louder, punctuated by her pounding her fists against my door.

"Ananya, I'm up," I shouted, and the knocking stopped.

"Well, good. Now get going!" she shouted. A morning person, I murmured, how wonderful. Though, to be fair, I didn't exaclty wake up groggy myself, and I usually enjoyed mornings. They were, usually, quiet and serene.

Ananya by her very nature tended to subvert that.

"What's the rush?" I asked, throwing the door open. She beamed at me as I poked my head out into the hallway. "What?"

"The Captain told me it was important that you get up since we're coming into port right now. You should have seen the ships all in the harbor. They're huge! Big and black and they make this ship seem kind of clunky and small."

"Great," I said.

"You don't sound excited."

There was a reason for that, Ananya, and it was a very good one. I slammed the door in her face, looking to throw myself into my morning routine before we reached the dock. The Mizukaze Zaibatsu would expect me to say my hellos, no doubt, and I wanted to be at my best for when that happened.

Ananya seemed to take the hint and disappeared by the time I finished. I mentally prepped myself. I was never very good at meeting new people. It was probably because I liked ot keep most of my thoughts internal.

I always felt awkward in crowds, and as I've previously stated, I tend to keep guarded even among people I know. Still, as a prince, I'd have to get used to that, meeting people was part and parcel of the whole princing thing. "Relax, I'm sure it will be fine," I muttered, not even believing it myself.

I rolled my shoulders, straightened my hair, and tightened my fists, heading up to the deck of the ship in time to see the shiphands throwing down anchor.

I could already see we'd drawn attention. They looked like soldiers -- were things here so difficult that the security detail needed to be prepared for battle? I shook my head, something felt wrong about this. At the fore was a kid, maybe the same age as me, who looked at the approaching ship with a wide smile painted on his face.

I felt a shiver go down my spine. I knew that face!

It wasn't so long ago that I saw it last, in fact, it was the day before I returned home from the Academy. He'd been there, among the students in the lecture, his smile punctuated by the way he would lean over his neighbor's shoulder and glance at their page, scribbling quick notes on his own.

Countless times I'd seen him, but I never paid him much mind, but I knew not to trust him. He had a reputation for being unreliable and self-serving.

Daisuke told me his name, once. Kenta, Kenta Mizukaze, grandson of the Zaibatsu's founder, and one of the new money that popped up in the war's aftermath. I never expected to see him on this journey, and yet there he was, that smile firmly on his face, and no doubt the cloying smell of mint on his breath.

I was jolted to my senses by a hand on my shoulder, and looking over it, I saw my aunt staring at the boy as well, "You know him, then?"

"Yeah," I muttered.

"I see. We should put on our best for your friend."

"He's hardly my friend."

"And that's precisely why we must act as though he is," she said, mysteriously. "Oh, but listen to this old biddy go on and on. We mustn't dally!"

"No one's buying that act!" I shouted. I looked over her shoulder, and then to my other side. Where was Ananya, anyway?. I thought she would be sure to add in her own thoughts.

"The girl seemed quite excited," Aunt Azula said, patiently, "Ran off talking about getting someone to send a messenger back to the Fire Nation for some reason. What a hurry she was in."

I blinked. What would she have to send to the Fire Nation, anyway? And then it occured to me. We'd just docked. When did she get off the ship?

"Like I said, she was in quite a hurry. She leapt onto the dock quite impressively. The young man seemed more than pleased to send it for her, from what I understood, but she insisted, so he sent her and one of those impressive guards with her to send a messenger hawk back."

I rubbed my temples, trying to get the image of that smile leering at Ananya out of my head. There were some things that just weren't right. "Anyway," Aunt Azula continued, "It's rude to keep our guests waiting."

Kenta's arms flew open wide as we stepped down. "If it isn't Kuzon! I heard one of the Royal Family would be visiting my fine city, but who'd have thought it was you!"

"You're not the only one who's surprised," I muttered.

"A pleasant surprise, though, old pal," he said, ribbing me in the stomach playfully. I was so close to pushing back when I caught a dangerous glimmer in my aunt's eye. "And Lady Azula, a pleasure to finally meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine," she said.

"I apologize for earlier," I added, "My friend can be very insistent."

"Yes, the girl who flew over from the ship to my dock? She seemed it," he said, "But a girl who knows what she wants -- thats something, isn't it? No offense meant, Lady Azula, I heard you were quite the lady when you were that age, too."

"Before or after I went insane," she said, perfectly level, not even arcing her voice to indicate that it was a question. The unnatural stillness in her voice seemed to slow even Mizukaze down, because his smile drooped momentarily, and he seemed at a loss to answer.

"Regardless of that," he said, slowly, and turning back to me the smile turned back on at maximum brightness, "She's quite a ladyfriend. Only the best for Prince Kuzon, though, right?"

"I think you've got the wrong idea," I protested weakly.

"Nonsense!"

"Yeah, that's what I said," I muttered. I wondered if his ears were there just for show, since he didn't seem to be listening to me. She was a girl, and a friend, however, they were two separate and unrelated facts.

She was too short, anyway.

"So," he continued, "I hope you can overlook my earlier boldness with your lady, but a lady like that is rare." I blinked.

"Boldness?"

"You weren't informed? I kissed the lady's hand --" Okay, and why should I care? He continued to prattle on, and i just started to tune him out until I saw Aunt Azula glowering at me, "--Now, come on, Kuzon, don't keep me in the dark."

"What was that?" I apparently missed a question.

"Where'd you meet a girl like that."

"The South Pole -- she was visiting someone," I said.

His eyes seemed to sharpen at my answer, and then, seemingly satisfied, he continued, "Good, good. But here I am forgetting my manners. Let's go into the manor, speak more there. The streets of Ming Xi aren't exactly the most comfortable place to talk. Come on, let's go. Oh, and you don't mind if I keep a couple of guards here, do you? Just for safety's sake, of course."

Aunt Azula smiled, "Such brave, strong men? No trouble at all!" She reached into a small bag she carried with her, and, upon rummaging briefly through it, discovered she was missing something. "Do you mind if I go aboard and just grab a delightful mix of tea that would be perfect for sharing with a charming young man?"

"Of course, Lady Azula. It'll give me and Kuzon a second to talk in private."

He pulled me close as she left, and said, "So."

"So?" I blinked. His smile was gone, and instead, he seemed to be quite -- well, it was like an entire transformation took hold of him. He was actually rather frightening like this. His eyes were sharp, and without the ever-present smile, there was no softening of his expression.

"So that Ananya, she's an Airbender, isn't she?"

"Yes, so?"

"Don't you think that's a little exotic for a prince to choose?" he said, carefully. "I can see the appeal, but let's be honest, man, you're the Grandson of the great Fire Lord Zuko, show some Fire Nation pride."

"I think we've gotten off on the wrong foot, here," I mutter, "Since she's not my girlfriend. She's just a friend. Nothing more."

"Nothing?" he repeated, and then that smile returned, "Wonderful! I'm glad we're in agreement."

That two-faced liar! Was that some sort of misguided ploy to get Ananya to himself? As far as I was concerned, he could have her. She was more trouble than she was worth. The sick feeling in the pit of my stomach intensified at the thought of tha slimey jerk and Ananya together.

Perhaps for the world's sake, they shouldn't ever cross paths like that.

What was taking Aunt Azula so long? Talking to this guy was torture.

"I'm sorry for the delay. Shall we?"

"Yes, let's," Kenta said, offering a hand to Aunt Azula a she stepped off the plank. She took it and leaned heavily against him, surprising him. "I have heard your tea is the talk of Ba Sing Se."

"Pah, only what my uncle taught me," Aunt Azula said, modestly -- the facade she put on sent shivers down my spine -- and she grinned, a thin line across her face, "Isn't that right, Kuzon."

"I've heard the old General Iroh's teas were legendary. It's such a tragedy that he was passed over as Fire Lord."

"Being Fire Lord was not his destiny," Aunt Azula said, mysteriously and sagely, "That was another's. He knew that. I believe he would say that it was a life well lived."

"That's right, you lived with him after the war, as I recall," Kenta said, leading us towards a manor house in the center of the city. "My grandfather was disappointed that you did not take the crown yourself, Lady Azula."

Aunt Azula shifted nervously, trying to keep her facade up without cracking, but I could see this question bugged her visibly, which was unusual enough. "Well, we all have dreams, but not all of them come true, sonny."

"That's true, but I don't intend to be one of those who give up on their dreams," he said, a mysterious twinkle in his eye. As he entered, a guard whispered in his ear, and his eyes darkened. "Yes, I see, thank you. I'll see to it immediately. Give me just a minute, Prince Kuzon, I apologize for being rude but my company does not run itself."

As he vanished down the hall, a servant led us to a sitting room to wait for his return. Once the door shut, Aunt Azula straightened her posture and glared hard against the wall. I swear, if the wall could, it would have blinked just to get her to turn away.

"What a repugnant brat," she said, "How dare he question Uncle Iroh."

"I thought he was an old fuddy duddy."

"So? He was my old fuddy duddy," she said, testily. "He had no right to bring in me, either. How dare he remind me of that."

I frowned. "I know it was a tough time for the family, but you've moved beyond that, right?"

"I told you so, didn't I?" she asked, curtly. "If it were not for that old fuddy duddy, I would still be there, reliving it in my head, forever." She frowned.

"At least he runs things well."

"Hardly, did you not hear him -- we're in his city."

"He didn't mean it like he owned this place or anything," I protested. Why was I defending him, anyway? "Stop making me do this. I can't stand the guy either. I don't think Ananya would much care for him leering at her."

"I'm sure his grandfather would like some words with him if he learned that," she said, tiredly, "He's an old fool who believes in the purity of the Fire Nation bloodlines. Marrying someone from the Air Nomads or the Water Tribe? That would be a fun wedding to attend, actually."

I frowned. "He doesn't sound like a nice man."

"He isn't," Aunt Azula said simply. "But it's not polite to talk about him while he's not present. Let us continue to play the humble guests."

Fine by me, I thought, it was better than talking about that jerk. I wondered, idly, what he had to deal with that was more important than meeting with a Fire Nation prince. He took his time returning, and when he did, he bowed his head deeply, and apologized profusely, "No one else could intercede."

"Some dispute? Oh what trouble," Aunt Azula fretted facetiously.

"Indeed. The local magistrate kindly took over the negotiations for me, however," he said, "Now, let's have us some of that tea. Ananya, dear girl, please join us. I lifted my head as Ananya slunk into the room looking like she'd been caught stealing.

"Hey, Kuzon," she said weakly, sitting down besides me, and notably away from Kenta. The boy's face never even flickered, not even blinking. I think I started blinking more to compensate, his look was so intensely fixed.

"What's wrong, dearie?" Aunt Azula asked.

"Nothing! Nothing's wrong!" she shrieked.

"She was just passing me in the hall, and I thought I'd invite her to join us." She looked at me plaintively. I shrugged slightly in response, and her face sunk deeper. "I hear you two met in the South Pole. That must have been a strange encounter."

"Not really," she said, "He helped me get away from some guys who weren't so happy with one of my jokes."

"Dashing of you," he said, dangerously.

Yes, Ananya, that's right, just let him think you and me are together, that will make him so not angry at me or anything!

I glower, "I didn't really do much --"

"Of course you did. You were my hero!"

"Ananya, all I did --"

"I get the idea," Kenta said, raising his hand, "You don't need to be so modest. Boast all you like, as your humble servant, I'm eager to hear all about your exploits." What did he mean by that?

"He's something, all right!" Ananya said,.just a little too forcefully.

I think I must have been praying for something to intervene, because I'd never been so happy to hear my Aunt speak. "That's enough, Ananya, you don't need to bore the boy with the details. Your friendship with Prince Kuzon is understandably something to be proud of, but we don't all need to hear about it."

She looked plaintively at Aunt Azula now, and Aunt Azula simply shook her head. Finally, I cheered, I was safe.

"Either way," Kenta said. "I'm sure we could become great friends as well, Ananya. I hope you'll do me that honor."

Ananya looked at him apprehensively, before saying, "Friends is good. Sure, we can be friends."

"Now, what brings you to Ming Xi, Prince Kuzon? It can't be to purchase yourself a boat, my father would be more than happy to take an order from the Royal Family back in the capital."

"No, we just need transportation to Dragon Fang Ridge."

Kenta looked at me like he'd just remembered a hilarious joke, biting back a guffaw, he said, "So you've come to save me from the pirates?"

_To be continued._


	7. The Pirates of Dragon Fang Ridge

_**Spirits Like White Lightning**_

_By Iain R. Lewis_

_Disclaimer: Avatar belongs to Nickelodeon. Kuzon, Ananya, and any other new characters belong to me._

_Author's Note: Trying something new with this chapter, let me know what you think._

**Chapter 7: **_The Pirates of Dragon Fang Ridge_

I must be having one of those days. I could only pinch the bridge of my nose, repeat, slowly, what Kenta had just said, "You want me to save you from _pirates?_" and pray that soon everything would make sense.

No such luck apparently, because as soon as I said that, he eagerly continued, "Yes, pirates. I've had a sudden rash of problems with them. There wouldn't be any problems except the magistrate refuses to let me send any of my security force with them."

"Why would you need the magistrate's permission?" Aunt Azula asks, perceptive as always. Still, she was missing the bigger point, how can you have pirates in a canyon? There's not even any water for a day in any direction.

"Unfortunately, they double as the town's police force," Kenta explains, his voice level and his eyes sparkling, "And I can't just leave this poor town to the mercy of thieves. Unfortunately, my deliveries with the mines in Yeung Village have suffered because of the pirates."

They sound more like bandits than pirates, if you ask me.

Of course, no one did. Ananya actually seemed excited by the prospect. That girl was weird, that was for sure.

She looks at him, eyes sparkling, and asks, "What are these pirates like?"

"As far as I can tell, their leader is a waterbender with a very unique style of bending," he said, leaning in awfully close to Ananya. Wait, is he flirting with her? What is with this guy! "She's a vicious, terrible woman. I've had to thaw several of my best ostrich horses out of blocks of solid ice because of her."

"That's terrible," Ananya answers, leaning back. At least Ananya doesn't seem much more comfortable with this guy. Didn't he go on about the purity of the Fire Nation not even an hour ago? Even if he's completely wrong about everything, would it hurt him to be a little consistent?

I speak up, "Why are you calling them pirates?"

"Oh, you noticed that too?" Kenta asks me, his smile so firmly painted onto his face that it looks more like a mask than an actual grin. He puts on a pained sigh, smiling the whole time, before saying, "That's what she calls them. The leader."

"The Captain!" Ananya adds. I think she's trying to be helpful, but I don't know if she's really got a grasp of the situation.

"Yes, indeed! The Captain of the Dragon Fang Ridge Pirates," Kenta agrees, turning his slick smile on her for a second before looking back to me. "She sent me a message with the last bunch, claiming that the mine and all its viable ores belong to the Pirates of Dragon Fang Ridge. Her words, not mine! Really, Kuzon, it's just a name."

It may just be a name, but it doesn't make any sense. "Look, why don't you just go deal with this? We just need to get to Dragon Fang Ridge and quickly."

"So, you're not here for the pirates?" Kenta seems surprised, and I recall that we never mentioned the true nature of our trip. I cast a glance at Aunt Azula, who returns it with quickly shaking her head. Her meaning was crystal clear, we would not discuss it with him. "So, why are you here, then?"

Kenta's smile drips insincerity, and I think for a moment that I can see beyond the facade to the general annoyance underneath. While the truth wasn't in and of itself a damaging thing, Kenta and the Mizukaze family had a reputation amongst the Fire Lord's assembly as, the word Grandfather used was rabblerousers.

The way my tutors explained it to me, the common man of the Fire Nation was not content with the end of the war. To the aristocracy, the war was a means to expand the Fire Nation's influence to the world, and while this was still true of the lower classes, there was also a second reason.

I know I mentioned Daisuke's family and their negotiations about the colonies that were established, but more colonies were planned while the Earth Kingdom briefly fell to the Fire Nation. The opportunity they offered was quickly squashed by the Avatar's victory that summer, and the companies who planned to establish Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom were soon told to scrap their plans.

The peasants who were left paying for investments that wouldn't pay off, and though Grandfather managed to win most of them reimbursement, the promise of a better future was the greatest loss. The Mizukaze spoke to those people, and if he learned the truth of why I was searching for the Avatar, things could get really messy back home.

Still, we had to give a reason, and -- Ananya starts to speak, and I too quickly I realize she hasn't been paying attention to us. I could hardly think of a reason to go there, though. It was just some town in the middle of nowhere, only of note because of a rich vein of minerals.

Except, if I don't think of something fast, Ananya's going to just blab everything. The pride of the Fire Nation is on the line. I need to think! What could I possibly need there?

"We are after a rare herb," Aunt Azula interjects before Ananya can speak, as if she'd planned for this from the start, "At the top of the canyon, there's a small plateau where they grow exclusively. They can be blended into the most fantastic tea in the Earth Kingdom, fit for the Fire Lord himself."

"You don't say. You came all this way for a plant?"

"Yes, a very exceptional plant," Aunt Azula says with great conviction.

"Really?"

Ananya looks perplexed, and I pull her aside, "Excuse us," I quickly say, bowing my head and heading out into the hall. "Ananya, what are you doing?"

"I thought we were going after grandfather --"

"We are," I hiss, "But keep it down. Kenta can't know that."

"Why not?"

Oh, I would love to explain the complexities of our political system to you, sometime, Ananya, but I don't exactly have the time to right now.

I give her the short version, "He's a jerk."

"That's true," she says, nodding, "Okay, I won't mention it, either."

"Good." I can already feel my body relaxing.

"Is everything all right?" Kenta asks, his infuriating smile peeking out into the hallway, barely concealed by the door. I swear the nerves in his face are dead, because there's no way anyone can smile that way for that long.

"Yes, perfectly!" Ananya says, moving to hide behind me. I don't know why she thinks I'm going to fare better against that obnoxious smile. "We were just talking about how nice it'll be to get Auntie Azula that herb for her tea."

"Oh, yes, I agree," Kenta answers. I feel a thrill down my spine. He throws his arm around my shoulder and pulls me close. That smile is gone, now, replaced by a sneer. I think I preferred the smile, actually! "So."

"So?" I didn't like where this was going already.

"I'm a little confused. I thought you said there was nothing between you and Ananya."

"There isn't," I grumble, and try and pull free, but for a skinny guy he's got a surprising grip on me. I could barely move. "Do you mind?"

"I do mind," he said, "I think she's quite charming, actually."

"Then go right on ahead," I answer, "I don't care."

His smile returns full force, "Wonderful." He turns and bows to Ananya, "Miss Ananya, I was wondering, if you had some time, would you like to take a walk with me. I'd love to show you my shipyard."

It isn't yours, it's your grandfather's. I think I should have lied and said she was my secret girlfriend or something, because this show he was putting on was nauseating. The little hypocrite, I should --

"Only if Kuzon can come with!" she suddenly interjects on my thoughts by pulling me right back into this. Oh, and he turns to stare at me. I can see the hatred coming off of him. Ananya, please, for once, just answer yes or no.

"I suppose he can tag with, if he doesn't mind being a fifth wheel."

"But there's only three of us."

"It's an expression," I say, and I think I heard Kenta say it at the same time. Great, he isn't content stealing my friends, he's trying to steal my lines, too! That's the final straw, I'm leaving, Ananya or no Ananya.

"I'd rather not. You two have fun. I've got to make sure we get ostrich horses that can make the trip to Dragon Fang Ridge."

"Oh, and, I've got -- my hair, you know?" Ananya adds, lamely, running her hand through her hair. I think the fact that she got her pinky caught in a knot of hair was good for convincing him, actually, even if the look of surprise at the sudden stubborness of her hair makes her look ridiculous.

"Well, yes, of course," Kenta says, his smile nor his exuberance ever actually dimming. I take back what I said about the nerves on his face, every nerve in his body must be dulled. "I imagine your hair takes time, and Aunt Azula does so need her tea. Another time, then."

"Sure," Ananya answers.

Wait just one second. Why is everyone calling her Aunt Azula? She's my aunt!

"Kuzon, is everything okay?" Ananya asks me, putting her hand on my shoulder.

"Yes, perfect."

I wasn't lying, really. Except for the lack of sense of, well, anything Kenta said or did, I was perfect.

When we went back into the room, Aunt Azula simply put a cup of tea to her lips and looked over Ananya and me. "Well, now that everything is settled. We need to get going. Your hospitality has been appreciated, young man, but if we're to arrive in Yeung by my bedtime, we need to get going and fast."

She really isn't fooling anyone. They're all just acting like she's a kooky old biddy because they're too polite to tell her she's not a very good actress. I think Kenta's a better actor, and he kind of oozes sleaziness.

"Well, I understand. I wish you could stay longer. Hopefully, the next time you're in the Fire Nation, we can meet."

"You'll be going back?" I ask.

"Yes, the new term is about to begin. My on-the-job training is one thing, but grandpapa insists upon a rounded education."

"A wise and reasoned decision," Aunt Azula says, "You'd do well to take that to heart, Kenta."

"I will indeed, Lady Azula. I will send word to the stables that you'll be borrowing three Ostrich Horses. If you do happen to run into the pirates, do me a favor and get rid of them, yes?"

"I'll think about it," I say. I think I'd rather shake their hands, though.

* * *

I confess, I don't like ostrich horses. They seem to share the sentiment.

"That one's a little ornery," the stablemaster says, "But she's a good mount. One of my fastest, definitely fit for a prince." He's a kind sort of Earth Kingdom peasant, but he just doesn't seem to understand the distinction between ornery and full-blown super evil.

This bird shoots me a look like I'm her afternoon tea. Fantastic, I'll be stuck with it all day, at the very least. On the other hand, Ananya's ostrich horse seems to have dipped into the cactus juice from the way it's wobbling.

And Aunt Azula? She's too busy showing off. Her bird seems to be the best trained ostrich horse of the lot. "Can't we all have ones like hers?" I ask, anxiously.

"Unfortunately most of mine are kind of recovering. Those pirates froze them solid."

Oh, right, _that_. Well, already, our day's looking to be fantastic. Traveling across the rugged terrain of the Earth Kingdom, throw dense forests and long plains, to the cliffs of Dragon Fang Ridge, and, amazingly, pirates, all on the back of an ostrich horse with an evil glint in its eye.

I wouldn't be surprised if the ostrich horse already picked a place to bury the bodies.

"Shih-na's just taking time to warm up to you, Kuzon," Ananya insists, and I insist that she's crazy. Shih-Na and I will never, ever see eye to eye on anything. "Whoa, there, Ichiro, keep steady!"

"You seem to be pretty good at that, Miss," the stablemaster says.

"Oh, yeah, Grandfather took me on rides all the time!" she boasts. "I just wish I was as good at Auntie Azula!"

"Oh, yes, the old bird's a natural," he comments.

Aunt Azula titters happily at the praise, putting a hand up to her face in a mockery of modesty. "Oh, please, you'll make this old girl blush." You're eating this up, and you know it! Hopefully when we're on the road she'll drop the facade.

"Well, you're all ready to go whenever. If you get to Yeung without getting frozen stiff, I'll take my hat off to you lot. Good luck with the pirates."

They're not pirates, I'm telling you.

I don't even get a few feet before Shih-na decides she knows the route better, bucking under the reins and leaving me grasping on tight for dear life. "Whoa, Shih-na! Whoa!" Ananya calls, but I don't think the bird is listening.

I try and pull back on the reins, but she bucks away from me wildly and I end up dropping to the ground with a thud, dirt and mud on my shins. Shih-na doesn't run off, she just stands there, staring at me.

She's challenging me? That bird is trying to show its dominance over a prince? This insult will not stand.

"Uh oh," Ananya says, probably louder than she realizes, leaning towards Aunt Azula, their mounts side by side, "Kuzon's got that look in his eye."

"He always was prideful." She knows I can hear her, and she shakes her head at me, but I ignore them, turning to the ostrich horse and pointing my finger at it.

"Listen here, bird. I am Prince Kuzon of the Fire Nation, and I demand you behave!"

She snaps at my finger in response. I really should have seen that coming, but I can only shout in surprise and nurse my finger. It was only a light nip, but its purpose was clear. She would not bow to me or anyone.

"You're a domesticated pack animal, Shih-na, and you will follow your rider's commands!" I shout. Wait, why am I doing this? It's a dumb bird. "I'll give you a treat if you listen to me." I spy the back on her back, and reach for it.

She watches me curiously as I pull out a carrot. "See? Yummy."

Shih-na levels her gaze at me, a clear understanding forming. I control the food supply, and she knows it. "See? I knew we could get along --"

And that's when she snatches it from me. I ball my hands into fists and shout at her, losing myself in just absolute anger.

"I got this," Ananya says, pushing me aside. "Shih-na, hi, I'm Ananya. Ichiro's rider?"

Is that bird listening to her? This is ridiculous. They're dumb animals, they don't understand what we're saying.

"Yeah, I know he's bossy, but Kuzon's a good guy. He'll make sure you get all the feed you need and a carrot if you're really fast. We really need to find the Avatar fast, so we need the best ostrich horses we could get."

The ostrich horse bows her head to Ananya, who pets the beak gently, "I'm s glad you understand! I was worried." Then she looks at me, "Be good to Shih-na and don't boss her around and she'll take us there in no time."

"What are you talking about? You can't just talk to animals."

"Says who?" Aunt Azula pipes in. "The Avatar is quite adept with communicating with the spirits and the animals. If anything, it's much easier than speaking to humans, who are too wrapped up in their own superiority to actually listen."

"It's okay, Auntie Azula, he can believe me or he can choose not to," Ananya says, mounting onto Ichiro and patting its head gently, "But if he listens to me, everything will be okay."

I approach Shih-na apprehensively. Honestly, I've heard crazier things than talking to animals. "Okay, Shih-na, let's try this again, okay?" This time, the bird lets me mount her without complaints, and I sit, anxiety growing, in my saddle. "Okay, let's go. Please?"

Shih-na snorts, but she breaks into a steady trot, and behind me I can hear the others keeping pace. The peace between us is tense, but for now, Shih-na and I are partners.

Aunt Azula takes the lead soon after, and looks natural on her ostrich horse, even sitting side-saddle for the benefit of her kimono. I don't know why she didn't change into more appropriate traveling clothes, but I had the sneaking suspicion it had to do with her little act.

We ride for a few hours before Aunt Azula stops, and canters off the side of the road. "Let's give the ostrich horses some time to recover. Kuzon, if you'd gather some firewood, we can have a lovely cup of tea while we wait."

"Sounds good," Ananya says, taking the reins from me and leading Shih-na over. "So, come on, Kuzon, we're waiting!"

I sigh. I guess it's better than having to feed Shih-na, at any rate. Twigs litter the ground, and it didn't look like it would take too long to finish. I hurry, feeling just a little like this was below me. But, it was Aunt Azula who asked. Ananya seems to be enjoying it though. I can see her out of the corner of my eye laughing. I can only hope it's at something Aunt Azula is talking about.

It's about noon by the looks of it. The sun's almost overhead and the weather is mild and comfortable. I remember my grandfather speaking of the vast beauty of the Earth Kingdom to guests, and I suppose I could see it, but really, I didn't have time to admire it. Picking up kindling took priority. The faster Aunt Azula has her tea, the faster we get to Dragon Fang Ridge.

She smiles when I approach, "That will do nicely," she says and starts the fire with a snap of her fingers creating a small azure flame that began to consume the kindling as quickly as it could.

"I'm so amazed at your aunt, Kuzon. She even asked the cook to prepare us some food. Isn't she nice?"

"Yes," I answer, looking at the small ricebuns Ananya is devouring as she speaks. She picks one up and offers it to me. I take it, hesitant at first, and try it.

"Thank you, Auntie Azula!"

"Now, now, Ananya," she says, modestly, "You learn a few things traveling. It's much better than having to let Kuzon fumble through which nuts and berries are edible and which aren't." I have to vehemently agree there. I'm a prince, not some sort of taste-tester!

"I bet he'd eat a poisoned one right off the bat and pass out," Ananya says, wickedly grinning at me, probably while she's imagining me doubled over in pain from food poisoning. "Grandpa actually taught me some stuff about which berries are safe and which aren't. In this area, the red ones are fine, but the speckled ones are dangerous. Some of the trees here have really tasty nuts, too, if you roast them first."

Aunt Azula chuckles. "Yes, the Avatar is one to live off the land. Though mainly I think it's because he lacks proper foresight."

"You're probably right, Auntie Azula," Ananya says, chipper. "But it's not good to plan out every little thing, either."

I shrug. I don't really have an opinion about that. I'd just as rather be back on the ship, It's been so busy today that I barely had time to think about the letter I wanted to mail. Speaking of which, didn't Ananya do that for me?

"Ananya, about my letter."

"Your letter? What letter? I don't know anything about a letter!"

Oh.

Okay.

That wasn't suspicious or anything. "The one I wrote to Nadesico."

"Oh, a letter!" she says, as if she misheard me earlier. Really smooth, Ananya. Now I was curious about what other letter she could have been talking about. "Yes, I sent it. It's on its way home on a messenger hawk that I named Hawky III."

"That's great," I mutter. I wonder if she names every messenger hawk she's ever used. "So, what other letter could I be talking about?"

"Hey, look, the tea's ready!" she says, expertly dodging the question. Now I really wanted to know!

"So it is," Aunt Azula says, starting to pour us each a cup. "It's a blend I made a long, long time ago. I believe it was the first time I saw the Avatar after the war. What a strange moment." She sighs, not really out of nostalgia, but maybe frustration? That seems about right. "He thought I'd poisoned it, actually."

I take a tentative sip and see why he would. The flavor is actually -- whoa, and the aftertaste -- it's bracing, that's for sure. A heavy fruity aroma wafts gently to my nose as I pull it back.

"Whoa," Ananya says, pulling her cup away quickly, "What did you put in there?"

"Some fruits, leaves," Aunt Azula answers. "My Uncle enjoyed it for its unique take on an herbal tea. The first sip is always the hardest."

I watch her carefully sip hers. "It's an acquired taste, I guess," Ananya says as I notice even Aunt Azula has to brace herself for the flavor. "Well, down the hatch!" She takes another sip, and to my surprise smiles, "Oh! I get it now!"

I take another sip, surprised by her reaction. Expecting the sudden flavor, the second sip is actually less shocking than the first, and it actually does make the tea taste better. There's a berry-like flavor to it that becomes quite pleasant after a while.

The aftertaste is still there, though.

"Maybe a little sugar would help," Ananya says, "it leaves kind of a sour taste in my mouth."

"Perhaps," Aunt Azula says, "Next time I'll remember."

"Great!"

We finish our tea slowly, making small talk amongst ourselves. The ostrich horses, bellies full, are eager to get get back to the road when we finish. I look at Shih-na apprehensively as we lead them back to the road. Ananya busily mounts Ichiro, while Bibi, my aunt's ostrich horse, lets her on without any complaints.

I really want an ostrich horse with an even temper next time.

Shih-na lets me on, but I can tell our fragile alliance is only barely holding. "When we get there, I'll get you all the carrots you want," I whisper in her ear, and she seems appeased by that promise, bucking into a trot down the main road.

It's late afternoon when Aunt Azula speaks up, "We're almost there. Perhaps we should be on the look-out for a pirate flag."

They're not pirates, Aunt Azula, please don't you start that, too.

"I hear pirates like to haggle. Grandpa said so."

Except these are bandits, not pirates.

"I wonder if they like tea," Aunt Azula adds.

I wonder if they're even real. Kenta seems to me to be the sort to make up stories to explain a dip in productivity or something. A low output by the local mines would certainly be covered up by some fictional pirates.

I mean bandits.

Now they've got me doing it. The faster this is over with the better.

"You can see the canyon in the distance. The legends say that long ago, a powerful dragon descended upon the mountains here, tearing asunder the land with its might fangs. Whether or not that is true, the cliff-face resembles a long line of dragon fangs, and the name has stuck."

"Really?" Ananya asks, excited, "That's kinda cool."

"I heard it used to be a river."

"That too," Aunt Azula adds, waving her hand dismissively. I don't know why she's being like that, I'm just pointing out the truth. I sigh, it really is an impressive view even from so far away. It's hard to make out the cliff-face, but even from this distance, the scale of the canyon is impressive. I heard the Great Divide is much larger and much more treacherous, but for some reason no one ever really talks about it.

"So, maybe the dragon made the river!" Ananya says. She really likes that dragon part, I guess. "I wish dragons were still around. Whatever happened to them. Grandpa said that some people in the Fire Nation used to ride them like Sky Bison."

"Oh." This is awkward.

"Well," Aunt Azula adds, clearly as uncomfortable with this line of discussion as I am. "That's to say."

"Yes, exactly," I continue.

"Exactly what?" Oh great, she's onto us. Fast, act evasive.

"Exactly what I just said."

"I didn't hear anything," she says, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "Are you hiding something?"

This calls for a quick change of subject, I think, "That remidns me, what was that about a letter, earlier?"

"Oh, _that_ exactly," she suddenly squeaks. "I totally get it now, thank you, Kuzon."

"You're welcome."

Well, that was close.

Still, it would have probably been worth it if she'd slipped up and told us what she's hiding. Maybe next time. I don't think I've seen her this evasive since we met. Not that that's been an especially long time.

"How long until we arrive?" I ask, Shih-na squawking anxiously.

"Another hour ot two," Aunt Azula answers, "But perhaps we should be on the look-out for our pirate friends."

"They're not pirates," I can't even believe Aunt Azula's calling them that.

"Of course they are," she points out. "Why wouldn't they be." I can think of one good reason, at least. Look around, Aunt Azula, and tell me, do you see a river here? Maybe a bay or a lagoon? No? That's why they can't be pirates!

"You're not looking at the essence of things, Kuzon," Ananya decides she needs to add. I shrug. I don't really know why you'd want to argue why some common bandits decide they want to be pirates.

"Exactly. They are pirates because that is what they call themselves. Far be it for us to decide what they can and can't be."

It's not us determining that, though! It's reality! Pirating involves riding around in a ship stealing from other ships. It's kind of the only thing pirates do. They're not even burying treasure right!

"Think we should tell him to loosen up?" Why does she always act like I can't hear her? She's really loud, actually, even when she's trying to hush her voice.

"He's too much like his grandfather. His father was never so wound up," Aunt Azula adds. She clearly knows I can hear, but I don't really mind being compared to Grandfather. He's respected for his seriousness and maybe he can be a bit stern, but when he speaks, people listen.

"What's Kuzon's dad like?"

"He thinks he's charming and funny," Aunt Azula says, "He isn't, but that somehow makes him charming and funny."

"I don't get it."

"Maybe I oversimplified," Aunt Azula shrugs. "The Royal Family and I are not exactly on the best of terms."

"Because of when you were crazy, right?"

"Pretty much."

I don't know why Ananya got away with that. Most people who bring up the unpleasant period of time when she was put in restraints to keep her from harming herself and others would get an icy glare and, usually, an eviction from her tea house.

I think as long as I've known her, only I could get away with that.

I guess that's a good sign, but I like being unique, too.

* * *

"Hey, Kuzon!" Ananya practically shouts in my ear. "So, why'd you leave the Palace, huh?"

"What?"

"Just curious, why didn't they send someone else to go get Grandpa. I mean, he's the Avatar, sure, but he's still just a kooky old guy when you get right down to it. Couldn't they have just sent a messenger?"

"Are you implying something?"

"Not really," she answers, "But you kind of don't look like the traveling sort." She snaps her fingers. I think she's come to some sort of understanding. I don't get it, but I listen intently for her to continue. "Maybe it's because of your bending!"

"What makes you think that?" Aunt Azula interjects That was fast, too. Ananya barely had time to get the exclamation out.

"Well, it makes sense," she protests, "Back when I lived in the North Pole, we had a man from the Earth Kingdom come and visit Mom. Claimed he was feeling an illness that no other healer could even figure out. He seemed fit and fine, and at first no one noticed anything, but slowly his health deteriorated."

"What makes you think my health is going to deteriorate?"

"I'm not saying it will, but he had the same bending problems. Used to be able to move boulders without breaking a sweat, still could sometimes, but most of the time he'd be lucky if he could flick a pebble."

"I see," Aunt Azula seems less than surprised, I'd even go as far to say that she already knew something about this. "So what did your mother do?"

"She healed him, but it took a lot out of her. Apparently the man angered a spirit. He was strong enough to fight back, but he'd been doing it for like a whole year without even realizing it."

"That's ridiculous," I dismiss. It's nonsense, and sounds more like a story her mother told her.

"Well, maybe it is, but remember when you got sick?" she says, defensively, "What if that was because you pushed yourself too far and your body was too exhausted."

"Exhausted?" Aunt Azula looks forward with interest. "What do you mean?"

"Remember how Kuzon barely ate anything the day before we arrived? I was thinking, it was like one of the symptoms the man had. You haven't had any strange dreams, have you?"

"No."

"Oh, well," she says, looking less sure, "That's okay. Maybe it was just you getting seasick. We did hit a choppy patch."

"Maybe," Aunt Azula answers. "Maybe not."

"I guess we won't be able to tell until we ask Grandpa," she says. "He's pretty good at talking to Spirits. He'll figure it out."

"And what about yourself?" Aunt Azula asks, "Do you speak to spirits?"

"Not really," she answers.

"You spoke to Shih-na and she seemed to listen."

"Well, Spirits don't really talk back to me, animals do," she points out. "Maybe I just need practice."

"Yes, that must be it," Aunt Azula concedes.

"I'd totally see if Kuzon ticked off some spirit. I bet he's just the type to boast about faster than Chi'Tika."

Who is that, anyway?

"Spirit of the woods. Really fast!"

Oh. I guess I said that out loud.

"My," Aunt Azula interrupts, "This is a lovely stretch of the road."

"I guess," I respond, looking around. Why is she putting on that act again? Did she see someone and wanted to practice being completely clueless? I really wish I understood why she thinks it's such a great disguise.

"Wow, the canyon is so pretty!" Ananya says. I guess they kind of are. The road runs upwards to the top of the ridge, putting us right next to the large dragon fangs themselves. We did have a problem though. The ridge blocked our view of the road.

Aunt Azula's point suddenly becomes very clear. This is the perfect place for those pirates to ambush us. As much as I dislike her, Shih-na doesn't exactly deserve to become an ice block.

"Aunt Azula, maybe I should check out ahead. The ostrich horses could use some rest," I say. If the pirates are watching, no reason to make them suspicious, right?

"I agree. Let's take a small break."

"Hey, what if he runs into pirates? His bending's totally not going to cut it against a waterbender."

Please don't act like I'm a total invalid.

"An excellent point. Ananya, go with him," Aunt Azula says. So much for stealth. "Here," she produces something from the same traveling pack our food came with. "You should probably be prepared to defend yourself in case of the worst."

"Thank you, Aunt Azula," I say, approaching.

It was a fine broad blade, the kind I learned to use at the academy. I really wish I was better with the Dao Blades like my grandfather, but I just never took to it. The broad sword required less coordination and, more importantly, time to learn.

Still, I never mentioned I knew how to use one.

"Your mother," she says, "Very proud of you. Was in the family newsletter,"

Why doesn't that surprise me?

"Come on! I want to meet the pirates!" Ananya says, grabbing me by the wrist. I hold the scabbard in my other hand and try and keep up with Ananya's quickening pace. "I wonder what the pirates are like! I bet there are hundreds of them! All bloodthirsty and vicious, and the woman in charge is totally beautiful and confident, like me."

Neither of those words come to mind when I think of you, Ananya, I hate to break it to you.

I really hope I didn't say that aloud.

Still, she hopes they're bloodthirsty? What kind of world does she live in where that's a quality you want in someone you meet, especially someone, presumably, out for your money.

"Oh come on, don't give me that look. Where's your sense of adventure?"

Back home, I want to say.

I dread reaching the top of the ridge, the ideas of bloodthirsty pirates numbering in the hundreds led by a woman who doesn't hesitate to freeze ostrich horses solid -- who _can_ freeze ostrich horses solid -- just waiting there leaving me paralyzed from the waist up. I can't believe my feet are continuing to march up there.

Ananya is practically the only source of forward movement I've got. "Almost!"

She leaves me standing behind and rushes up. "Ananya, wait!"

She lets out a sharp gasp, and I feel my legs break into a stride. That idiot! Who knows how many pirates there are up there. At least twenty, I bet. "Ananya!"

"Kuzon?" she sounds surprised, and relaxed. I must look pretty stupid, stomping up to the top of the ridge with a great big bluster only to find the girl I rush to rescue is perfectly fine. "This is kinda disappointing."

What? My timely rescue? Thanks.

I look around, trying to find a pirate, hide or hair. I'm actually disappointed to see that Ananya's surprise is at how empty the area is. Two ostrich horses are tied to a tree over there, and a guy about my age sits there, a calligraphy brush in hand.

"Well, after all that build up, sure," I say. "But you know, it's for the best. We don't need any bandits."

"Pirates!"

"Ananya, they're bandits. Even if they think they're pirates."

I turn around. There's no point in leaving the ostrich horses behind if there aren't any pirates to freeze them solid, after all. "Let's go."

"Yeah, okay," she says. "I really wish there was even one pirate. That'd make my day."

"Aha!"

Aha? Who said that?

I look around. There doesn't seem to be anyone but that guy, and it really didn't sound like it could be his voice. It was kind of high-pitched, and that guy looked like a miniature mountain. A mountain doing calligraphy practice, admittedly, but a mountain nonetheless.

"Did you hear something?" I ask Ananya. She doesn't answer, but the way she's gotten all hyper-alert, well, I'll take that as a yes.

"Who are you!" Ananya shouts. I don't really care, but I think the excitement goes to Ananya's head quicker than most people's.

"You don't seem to be Mizukaze scum, but if it's a pirate you want, then you've got it!"

Wait, that voice is coming from the tree. I look up in the branches, and peeking between the leaves is a girl. She seems pretty tall, lanky too, and pretty much the exact opposite of the boy underneath the tree.

"Oh come on, you've got to be kidding me."

Ananya looks at me, hushing me with a finger over pursed lips, and then she shouts, "Show yourself!"

"She's in the tree," I whisper.

"Oh," she looks disappointed, "Well, great. I was expecting her to do something like, like a ninja or something!"

Does she want to meet ninja, as well? What do they even have to do with pirates? They're about as different as water and fire.

"I'm a pirate!" the girl shouts, indignant, "And I'll show you just how cunning and crafty we really are!"

Oh please, let this be a bad dream, one of those strange visions Ananya was talking about. Yes, I would prefer being attacked by a ticked off spirit than deal with something this, this -- I don't even know what this is, but it's horrible!

Unfortunately, Ananya dissuades me of that notion, and she launches an attack, blowing the leaves off the tree with a powerful gust. The girl, brown hair under a bandana, looks at us as she's exposed, her lip curling angrily.

"What's the big idea? You just ruined my big entrance!"

"Huh?" I guess even Ananya can't follow this girl's logic. That's amazing.

"Look, I'm a pirate, okay? A mighty pirate. I need an impressive entrance to strike fear into my enemies' hearts."

"You're really just kind of being silly," I say.

"Duo, are you going to let him talk to me like that?"

The boy shrugs.

I get the sense that this girl does all the talking for him. I can't blame him. From my experiences with Ananya, when you have someone, anyone who talks that much, you sort of unconsciously let them.

Still, his answer isn't exactly making the girl any happier, "What sort of answer is that." She's clutching that branch rather tightly. I wonder what would happen if I hit the trunk like so.

The loud thump is about exactly what I expected.

I turn, and look her over. She's got the look of an Earth Kingdom peasant to her. "Hey, what's the big idea!" and a mouth that goes a mile a minute. If she's a waterbender, does that mean one of her parents came from one of the Water Tribes? Do they naturally come that chatty? First Ananya, then the Great Chief, now her!

Duo sighs, shaking his head. He seems to be suffering through this just as much as I am. A kindred spirit at last.

"Duo! Do something!"

The boy sighs, standing up, and twisting his feet.

I've never actually had anyone earthbend the ground beneath my feet before, but it's honestly an interesting sensation. The whole of the earth got very soft, unusually so, not like sand, but like little grains of dirt suddenly finding that there's nothing beneath it. Some of it even got in my shoes.

I only sank to my knees, so it wasn't actually too restrictive, and Duo gives me an apologetic look.

"Hey, that's not very nice," Ananya says. "Let him up."

"Don't do it, Duo!"

He looks about set to let me out before she says that, and he sighs.

"As a pirate, I can't let you get away with that insult."

"What insult?"

"Knocking me out of a tree!"

"Oh, that," I say. "Well, why would a pirate need to climb a tree, anyway?"

"This is a very good point," Ananya says. Did the stars align while I wasn't looking? Did she just agree with me? "Shouldn't you be climbing a mast or something."

"It's practice for when I have a mast!"

And with that I come crashing down to reality. Really, Ananya, you were doing so great, why did you have to ruin it with that?

"Well, why don't you have a ship?"

And Ananya continues to amaze. Even the girl is looking at her like she's a few marbles short of a checkers game. "Are you blind or something?" she asks. "Where would I put it?"

"Okay, this has gone on long enough," I say, "Who exactly are you and what do you want."

"Isn't it manners for the gentleman to introduce himself first?" she asks.

"I think we tossed manners out the window a while ago," Ananya says. "Could you please let Kuzon back up?"

"Your name is Kuzon? What kind of goofy name is that?" the girl laughs. "Well, I'm the Captain of the Dragon Fang Pirates!"

"No, really?" I can't even hide the creeping sarcasm. She's making wild gestures, just fully wrapped within the romance of being a pirate. "Look, I don't care if you're a pirate or a bandit or some little girl who's been playing pranks on Kenta. Just let me up."

Duo slams the ground and I come jutting right back up. The dirt clods in my shoes are a tad distracting, but now isn't the time to complain. If this girl really is the pirate Kenta told us about, she should be a prodigious Waterbender.

Which means Ananya and I need to stay on guard.

"You're a tremendous jerk, you know that?"

"I'm the jerk, right," I say. In my defense, she's incredibly grating. WIthin seconds of me saying that, for example, she's in my face yelling even louder.

"Yes, you are! You ruin my entrance, knock me out of my hiding spot, and then you act like I'm some kind of peasant."

"Well, you are, aren't you?" I ask.

I admit, now I'm just doing it to be a jerk. Doesn't she even know who I am? Should I even tell her? I almost have a chance to debate that when she just snarls, "My name is Sie Lei Fang, don't you forget it, Kuzon. It'll be the last name you hear."

"Is that a challenge?" I wonder.

"You better believe it, buddy. Prepare to face the might of the Lei Fang Bending Style."

"Are you going to freeze me in a block of ice?" I ask. Oh the way her face scrunches up is satisfying. She clearly doesn't have an idea who she's dealing with.

"Okay, that's it! That is it! No holding back!" she falls into a strange stance, an Earthbending stance if I remember correctly from the Academy. Well, if she's trying to trick me, she's in for a surprise. I was top of my class back in training.

Except I don't exactly have my prodigious firebending skills handy.

I guess I better let Ananya take this one.

"Oh don't look at me," she says, "You're the one digging your own grave here, Princey."

Well. Wonderful.

I wonder if I can bluff my way out of this. "Listen --"

"Don't you dare bring your girlfriend into this. Are you a man or aren't you?"

She's not my girlfriend, "I'm not his girlfriend!"

Well, good, we're on the same page. A little hesitation though would have been nice, Ananya, make me feel wanted. Oh, never mind, this isn't the time. "Why, can't take an Airbender?"

"I'll take my chances with the firebender with a sword. Who does that, really?"

"My grandfather!" I shout. He was really good with them, too!

"Whatever. Show me what you got, Kuz-Kuz," she says, wagging her finger at me provocatively. She wants me to make the first move? Really? Why doesn't she just --

Oh, I've got an idea. "Ladies first."

"Exactly, so come on, Lady," she says. Oh, is that the best she's got? Daisuke's subtler. _Daisuke Hakamura!_

"I thought you were going to show me the Lei Fang Bending Arts," I continue, let's see her get out of this one. Oh, I really hope I'm right.

"Well, I would, but," she pauses. "But you go! Why? You chicken-pig?"

"This isn't about me, Lei Fang, this is about you."

"Oh, is it?" she bristles, "Well, I'll show you. I'll show you all! Duo! Show them the Lei Fang style."

"Hey, don't you bring in that guy!" I shout. "You can't bend, can you."

"Sure I can. I can do it easy. It's just --"

She glances at the tree, and I notice for the first time that the tree bark is wet. Looking up, I see, upside-down, a wooden bucket, formerly full fo water, I'd assume. It makes sense. Most waterbenders carry a water skin, but that's not exactly enough water to freeze anything larger than a lemur solid.

That bucket would certainly have enough to trap an ostrich horse. Not enough for my comical mental image of an ice cube with Shih-na inside, though. Makes sense, I don't think they'd be alive after something like that.

I hope Shih-na isn't psychic.

"You don't carry around a waterskin."

"My style of waterbending requires more water than that!" she says, "It's the greatest style, believe me! When you see it, you'll wonder how those pansies in the Water Tribe got by with it."

"We're not pansies!" Ananya shouts. "That does it. Kuzon, she just insulted the Water Tribe's honor. I can't let that stand!"

Sie's confusion is written all over her face.

"I guess we should introduce ourselves. I'm Kuzon, and this is Ananya, Daughter of Saya of the Water Tribe."

The look on Sie's face is pricelsss, I really wish someone would figure out a way to preserve it for posterity. The color drains from her face and her mouth hangs down so low I'm sure it's about to fall off.

"She's heard of Mom, huh?" Ananya whispers back.

"I think that's safe to assume."

"Oh, oh no," she says, "You're --"

"Yep. I'm born and raised Water Tribe."

"But you're an Airbender. How does that even -- Oh."

As much as I love watching this girl put together the math in her head, this is getting us nowhere. I move forward, "Ananya, do you want me to handle this or do you want to?"

"You go ahead. Fight for my honor, Kuzon!"

Not exactly the plan, but this girl looks intimidated enough. If I just put on a little more pressure, I'm sure she'll snap. "This is your last chance to run."

"Oh yeah?" she answers, her voice quivering but the defiance in her stance is obvious. She may be scared, but she's not a coward. It would be admirable if she wasn't so annoying. "I'd like to see you try, buddy."

Oh, great. Now that I've pushed her bluff, there's nothing to hide _my _bluff. This is why I'm rotten at Pai Sho.

"Why would I have to?" I answer. Okay, quick, think of a bluff. Got it! "Using bending on you would be too easy."

"I bet you suck."

I bet I hate you now, Miss Lei Fang. Okay, so she's smarter than I thought.

"She's onto you," Ananya whispers in my ear. She certainly has a knack for stating the obvious.

Still, if you'd just taken up the fight and put her in her place, we wouldn't be in this mess, would we?

"Hey, pal, stop chatting with your girl."

"She's not my girl," I mutter. "And you're incredibly annoying. Come on, Ananya, let's get Aunt Azula and go. She's probably brewed up a pot of tea in the time it took for us to figure out these so-called pirates are no threat."

"Yeah, you're right."

"Don't turn your back on me! I'm a fierce and mighty pirate!"

"What kind of tea do you think Aunt Azula's made up this time?"

"Anything's better than that last brew."

"You're right. I hope she has something with jasmine!"

"Duo! Help me out here! Mom said you had to!"

Duo? The big guy? Where did he get himself off to, anyway? I hadn't heard from him in a while, and I guess we all just forgot he was even there. I glance around quickly, and find he'd not gotten far. He's sitting underneath the tree again. He holds his brush in hand and looks up. Poor guy, he looks about as annoyed as I feel.

"Don't just sit there, they're getting away!"

I ignore her. Duo doesn't seem like the idea much, anyway.

"Fine! You're a big dummy anyway! See if I ask you to come along tomorrow." I can hear her shouting even as we're starting down the ridge again. Aunt Azula, true to form, is sitting with a cup of tea in her hands, feeding her ostrich horse a quick treat.

"Oh, are you finished looking for pirates?"

"We found one, but she's kind of silly," Ananya states, looking disapppointed, "And she insultoed the Water Tribe."

"Well, what a bother. So, are we ready?"

"Yes, let's get to Yeung. It's almost time for dinner, anyway," I say. I'm glad this place is so close, since we brought very little in the way of camping supplies. And, anyway, I can imagine Ananya would make me figure out which berries are edible the hard way for her own deranged amusement.

Why me? Really, just what did I do to deserve this?

I lead Shih-na up the ridge and come up to the plateau to find the area by the tree empty, and Sie and Duo nowhere in sight. I doubt she's had time to find a source of water for her bucket, so I'm not particularly fearful for my feathered companion.

Though a little ice burn would teach it some manners, I think.

I climb into the saddle and look back at Aunt Azula and Ananya, "Well, let's hit the road. We've got a while to go."

"Oh, they're gone?" Ananya says, looking around for another hiding space. None of the trees seem big enough to hide the two of them. The ostrich horses that were tied to the tree are gone, as well.

"They must have gone home. I'm surprised the Mizukaze Zaibatsu had trouble with them."

"Maybe," Aunt Azula says, "The fact that they were so unexpected worked to their advantage."

"Maybe," i answer, "But I mean, that girl didn't even have a back-up plan. They've been lucky, at best."

"Luck isn't something to discount," Aunt Azula points out. "It's no matter. Yeung is very near, and I am very hungry."

"Me too!" Ananya says,

I hurry Shih-na up to a gallop, and grin, "Well, let's see who can get there first!"

* * *

I ended up being there last because Shih-na threw me off right at the town. Incredibly smart bird, that one, but she uses that intelligence for pure evil, I swear. She gives me an unapologetic glower as Ananya and Aunt Azula rush past me.

Yeung is a small village nestled in the craggy stones of Dragon Fang Ridge. The cliff edge really makes it abundantly clear where the canyon got its name. The ridge looks like the lower jaw of a massive dragon. The town itself was unremarkable. Towns like these sprouted up around rich mineral veins like a weed in a garden.

Still, it felt cozy. Even as the sun was going down, the town still seemed to be full of people busily working, anticipating the return of the miners and the coming night. Frankly, it seems kind of strange that those two so-called pirates were so anxious to interfere with the Mizukaze Zaibatsu.

I think Aunt Azula is having similar thoughts, from the way she glances around. There's a calculating gleam in her eye, even as she hides it making pleasant conversation with the locals.

"Oh, so we go down this street, take a right and it'll be on our left?"

"No, no, take your first left and it will be on your right," the woman she's speaking with says, tiredly. "You can't miss it."

"Oh, thank you. Got that, nephew? On our left."

"Right," I answer.

"I give up," the woman says, tiredly, "Good luck finding it. I think you're going to need it."

Aunt Azula grins at me. I have to admit, she's kind of funny when she's pretending to be senile, but I don't think it was really necessary to do that to the poor lady. She takes the first left and the inn is indeed on our right, a cozy looking house.

The door's open, and inside, I can see a lady busy with dinner, rushing out of the kitchen. Unsurprisingly, it's not very crowded. "Hello?" I call. The lady smiles at me.

"Welcome," she says, overwhelmed. "Just a second." She disappears back into the kitchen. I can hear her talking to someone in there, and a second later another girl trudges out. Another, incredibly familiar girl.

Sie Lei Fang doesn't even seem to notice us, her head hung down and stomping up to the counter, she drones "Welcome to our inn, will you be staying --"

That's when I see her eye meet mine.

And she disappears into the kitchen.

"That was very peculiar," Aunt Azula points out.

"Hey! Get back out here!"

Another person comes out of the kitchen, and unsurprisingly, it's Duo, the boy from before. He's even more intimidating with the doorframe to really accentuate just how tall he is. He goes to the counter, and in a very quiet voice, says, "Sorry about this."

* * *

"You can talk?" Ananya is of course a master of observation.

I figured out he could talk before he said anything, Ananya, just because we don't all talk a mile a minute doesn't mean we can't. Duo takes it in stride, though. I don't think he even notices.

"Do you three need a room?"

"Yes, a room would be lovely. And, oh that aroma, we are famished travelers from Ming Xi, after all."

"Of course," he says, politely, "It's our pleasure to serve our guests."

"You're such a nice boy. My nephew could learn a thing from you."

What? I'm not nice? It could be worse, I could actually say some of the things I'm thinking.

"Do you have anything vegetarian?"

"Oh, that's right, you're an Airbender." He looks apologetic, "It's no problem, but I thought you were from the Water Tribe."

"Well, yes, but I don't eat meat," she says, smiling, "Not since I left the North Pole, anyway."

He nods, and my Aunt pays for our room and board. He disappears into the kitchen, presumably to say we'll be having dinner with them tonight, and Sie returns from the kitchen, dragging her heels. I catch a glimpse of Duo watching her.

I guess he can fight back every now and then, too.

"I'll show you your rooms," she says, tiredly. She leads us past the foyer, and to a long hallway. At the other end, she points to two adjacent doors. "There you go. DInner'll be a bit. We haven't had guests in forever."

That's what happens when you've got pirates scaring everyone off.

"Hey, you," Sie says.

Ananya nudges me. I guess you is her way of saying 'Kuzon'. She could at least remember my name.

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. Come on."

She grabs me by the wrist and drags me with surprising strength out into a small courtyard. This palce is surprisingly big. I wonder why that is. There's a small pond there, too. How pleasant. If I wasn't being dragged out here against my will by a known waterbender, it would be relaxing.

"Listen," she says, "If you say anything, I mean anything to Mom or Grandpa about the whole Pirate thing, I swear, you won't live long enough to see you sink to the bottom of that pond."

Well, that's a pleasant image.

"Your mom doesn't approve?"

"Mom doesn't even have a clue. But if Grandpa heard," she hesitates, "If he heard it would be unpleasant for me, too, got it?"

"Well, if you''ll apologize --"

"No."

Why doesn't that surprise me. Unfortunately for this girl, though, I have all the cards. "Fine. I guess I'll just have to let it slip."

"Fine!" she shouts, "Sorry for bugging you earlier, okay? I thought you guys might have been Mizukaze. I mean, no one else comes out of Ming Xi these days but their security bozos and the odd slave."

"Slave?"

"Their workers," she says, "We had them as guests before. Way it sounds, they work in the ship yards or lugging ore around for them, and get paid, but you know what's funny? They don't get the tools they need courtesy of the Zaibatsu, no."

"How do they get them?"

"They buy 'em from the store. Funny thing is, they can't afford that, so they owe the store the money. Funnier thing, the stores are all run by the Zaibatsu. They may get paid, but none of that money ever leaves the Mizukaze's pampered Fire Nation hands."

I pause, thiinking about what to say next. "You've got proof?"

"No."

"Then that's just a baseless accusation."

"It's true!"

"I'm not saying it isn't, but," I shake my head. It's hard to explain, "There's nothing anyone can do without proof."

"Whatever. They've been trying to buy this town, too. Grandpa won't let them, but he's getting older and the magistrate technically owns the town anyway and that guy's really in the Little Lordling's pocket."

"You're a pirate, though. Why do you care?"

"Shut it! And so what if I am?" she says, "A pirate stands up for what's right! That's my first rule of pirating."

No, the first rule of pirating is don't get hanged.

"I ain't letting them get anymore of our ore. It isn't technically stealing, since Grandpa owns the mine anyway."

That doesn't make any sense. No judge would buy that for a second.

"Sie! Dinner's ready!" I hear her mother call.

"Coming!" she shouts back. "Come on, dinner's waiting. Remember what we talked about, okay?"

"Fine by me." I don't really want to get her in trouble with her family anyway. I know I can come off as a jerk, but there's some lines I won't cross.

We enter the dining room together. Around the table, Ananya is already busy chatting straight at Duo, while Aunt Azula is talking animatedly with a man at the head of the table. "There you two are," Sie's mom says. She's an Earth Kingdom sort, dressed in very simple clothes. Apparently the mine isn't doing too well, if clothes are anything to go by.

She's eying me for some reason.

She shares some words with Sie, who turns red as an apple, matching with her bandana humorously. "Mom! Shut up!"

"I'm just saying," she says, in good humor.

"Miss Ling, thank you again for sharing this lovely meal."

"Thank Duo," Miss Ling answers, looking to Duo. He fidgets embarrassed in his seat. "He's the master chef of our little inn."

"It's no problem, Ma'am," Duo says, quietly, retreating into himself as much as a mountain can recede into a plain. Seriously, what have they been feeding him? He's got to be only about my age, maybe a year or two older, and I feel like I'm ten standing next to him.

"Sie could learn a thing or two from her brother," Ling says, looking over pointedly at her daughter. Wow, Sie's looking ready to bolt from the table. "It would do me good to see you bring home a boyfriend one of these days."

"Why don't you bug Duo for not getting a girlfriend once in a while, Mom!" she shouts.

The man at the head of the table looks up for the first time since I came in. "Sie, do not talk back to your mother like that."

"Whatever, gramps," she mutters, looking at her plate tiredly.

"Father, please," Ling says, in a hushed voice, "Not in front of the guests."

"Please don't mind us," Aunt Azula says. "But truly, a girl doesn't need a man to define who she is When the time comes, it will come. There is no need to rush."

"I know, I know," Ling says, "But when I was her age, boys were lining up at the door. My daddy had to beat them off with a stick. Literally."

"Oh great, this story again," Sie mutters. She looks across at me, and gives me a brief scowl. Not that I need reminding not to say anything. Still, that old man at the head of the table is something frightening, all right.

I think he may be military. I've met a few retired generals and admirals, and they have a similar bearing. However, there's something else. Something I just can't quite place. He's Water Tribe though, through and through.

"Ah, yes, Kuhahn," Aunt Azula says, "Let me introduce you to my nephew formally."

"Kuzon, is it?" he says, "Your aunt has told me a lot about you. Many young men have gone seeking out the Avatar for guidance at your age. My son even considered it before meeting Ling here."

"Yes," so it's for guidance, is it, Aunt Azula? I guess that's easier to explain than I'm a Fire Nation prince looking for the Avatar to warn him about a mysterious assailant who can disappear like magic.

I guess I'll have to play along for now.

"Something like that, sir."

"You can call me Kuhahn," he says, genially. Kuhahn -- that name tugs at my memory.

"Must be nice to go traveling around the world," Sie mutters. "Gramps here won't let us."

"The seas are no place for a young lady," he says, sternly. Wow, that was a major shut down. He must be from the North. Kuhahn of the Northern Water Tribe? No, I don't think that sounds right.

"Yeah, whatever. Just because I'm a girl."

"A young lady should be at home, with her mother."

"Father, maybe now is not the time."

"Oh, come on, Mom. You agree with gramps." She crosses her arms. "Old hypocrite. Like you ever cared about the Water Tribes."

The old man stops, and stares at the table.

"Gramps? Papa?" Sie's voice changes, stark comparison, her usually fire replaced with a quiet, tremulous worry. "I'm sorry. I didn't --"

"To your room, now," he says, but he lacks conviction. Sie bows her head and leaves the table, and I watch her go, I catch a pattern on the back of her bandana, and it reminds me of something. Something I'd seen on a picture of a ship with red sails.

Kuhahn of the...

Oh.

Kuhahn of the Red Sails.

They gave him many names when he deserted the Northern Water Tribe's armada as the war ended. Traitor, coward, warmonger, but only one name stood the test of time.

This man was a pirate.

_To be continued._


	8. The Magistrate

_**Spirits Like White Lightning**_

_By Iain R. Lewis_

_Disclaimer: Avatar belongs to Nickelodeon. Kuzon, Ananya, and any other new characters belong to me._

**Chapter 8: **_The Magistrate_

"Certainly a most awkward moment at dinner," Aunt Azula observes as we make our way to our rooms. "I suppose you're wondering why we aren't simply declaring our identities to the world at large."

"It's all right," I say. I don't want to deal with the pomp and circumstance that would surely follow a prince everywhere he went. "Makes things easier."

"It does in some ways," she agrees, nodding her head, "However, as I'm certain you already discerned, that man is a Water Tribe Pirate."

"He's a what?" Ananya is out of her element here. Did she pay any attention to the conversation until the word pirate? No. Totally and completely out of her element.

Aunt Azula's patience is greater than mine, "A pirate. A deserter from the navy. Following the Fire Nation surrender, he refused to obey his orders to return home and instead remained on the open seas, at large."

"That's weird. Why wouldn't they want to go home?"

I couldn't think of any reasons, either. Being on a ship is a lot of work, and the lurching stomach pains are just one of many reasons I could think of for a hasty return trip home. Water Nation ships were smaller, too, made of hides and bone.

I don't even want to finish this thought, it's already bringing back memories of that night.

"Who knows. Some say he couldn't accept a Fire Nation surrender with the terms the Avatar dictated. Which is precisely my point," she points at me, "You are a prince, you represent not only yourself but the whole of the Fire Nation."

And as such, if that guy holds a grudge against the Fire Nation, he holds it against me. Not that I needed to be told. Maybe Ananya needed it, but not me.

"But I don't understand," Ananya continues, "Why would he hate Kuzon or the Fire Nation. That was years ago."

"A lifetime, yes," Aunt Azula says, "But us old folk, we don't change much. We're very set in our ways and you youngin's aren't going to change that."

"Oh."

"I'm surprised you never heard of the Red Sail Pirates," I say, and Ananya looks at me, confused.

"Should I have?"

"They've been around for years," I say, "By the time they just disappeared, they were powerful enough that Uncle Lu Ten said they needed to send soldiers from both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdoms to deal with them."

"Why?" she looks confused. I'm not sure I understand why.

"What do you mean, why? They were pirates. They disrupted trade between the two nations. We needed to act."

"Oh."

Oh?

"They don't sound very nice," she adds after a moment. "So, what did you guys do to them?"

"Surprisingly, nothing. They vanished, completely, about twenty years ago. Uncle Lu Ten told me about it once. He'd even set up laws that set up a joint procedure between the two nations. Like, he could, as Prince of the Fire Nation take over the apprehension of a known pirate."

It was pretty impressive, actually. Since, after all, it was one of his first diplomatic missions as a prince. Actually, that sounds really fun. Now I really feel shortchanged.

Well, if it was good enough for Grandfather, it's good enough for me. Not that I intend to capture the Avatar and I'm relatively sure my honor isn't in need of being restored -- okay, the similarities end at finding the Avatar, but still.

"Uncle Lu Ten? Is he the --"

"Yes."

"With the glasses?"

"Yes."

I don't know why Aunt Azula would have mentioned Uncle Lu Ten, but the grin on Ananya's face makes me glad I don't. There was something mischievous, and dangerous, "So, what do you think happened?"

"I don't know," I answer, "But if this is any indication, the band may have broken up when Kuhahn retired."

"Maybe he buried some treasure around here! That would be so neat! Buried pirate booty," she claps her hands, "We should go look for it tomorrow."

"Don't we have to find your grandfather?" I ask, tiredly.

"Oh, yeah, that, but after that, pirate booty. Remember, bright and early, okay?"

I shake my head slowly. "We'll be taking this room, nephew," Aunt Azula says, bowing her head, "It's well past this old lady's bed time, and I think Ananya needs her beauty sleep as well." Like that's going to help.

No, I don't mean that, that's mean and untrue. Funny though.

"Hey, what's so funny about me getting my beauty sleep?" Ananya asks, testily. Not that she's incredibly feminine, but I think she's a bit girlier than she lets on in public. I probably shouldn't say anything.

"What? I was just thinking how nice it'd be to finally get to sleep without the walls bobbing."

"Oh, yeah, that's true. You get seasick easily, don't you, Kuzon?"

Hey, don't make fun of my weak disposition. It must have been the breakfast she gave me. Yeah, that's got to be it. "Good night, Aunt Azula."

"Sleep well, nephew," she says bowing her head and going inside. Ananya lingers at the door for a minute before looking up and down the hall, and back at me. I don't think I like where this is heading. I hurriedly turn to open my door.

"Come on! We gotta check on Sie!"

"We do?"

"Did you see how mean her grandpa was?"

Did you happen to totally miss how rude she was being to the old guy? She really needed a lesson in manners, and she got it, so what's the problem?

She admonishes me, suddenly, "Don't be so heartless. She needs some friends."

"We're her friends now?"

"Well, yes!"

When did that happen? I can see she's not going to leave me alone until I agree to this silly errand. I hang my head and follow her. The inn is small, but the town isn't very large to begin with. It doesn't feel right, to me, to creep through the halls trying to find the private rooms of our hosts, though.

"Oh lighten up," Ananya tells me, sensing my ill ease, "We won't get caught."

"Sure we won't," I mutter. Let me just get some sneaking clothes on first, and maybe a mask like -- "Gah!"

What is that thing! Big, blue, fanged, it's like a monster grinning at me from its fixture on their wall. Who puts something like that up on display especially in a dark hallway.

"What is it? Oh! I know that mask," she looks at it curiously. "Scared you, didn't it? Wow, Kuzon, I didn't know princes scared so easily."

I wasn't scared! Just, just shocked, really. That's it.

Okay, so we're creeping through their home like thieves, Ananya, what's the next step in our brilliant plan to get us into deep trouble with a known former pirate?

"Duo!"

Call out to his grandson? I would not have seen that one coming.

I knew this was a bad idea.

Duo, muscles and all, turns to look at us, and he smiles slightly, bowing his head and approaching. I think he's gotten used to us by now, which is why he isn't trying to throw us out, yet. "Sorry. Ananya was worried about your sister."

He nods, and Ananya, desperate to fill in the silence, says, "She looked so upset. Is everything okay? I, I mean, sure she's kind of a brat sometimes, but that was so mean of your grandpa."

He shrugs, and I roll my eyes in return.

He seems to spend a good time thinking about what to say before he speaks, and he bows his head as he does so. "Sie is all right. This happens from time to time, especially when we have guests."

"She really wishes she could get out there, huh?" Ananya seems surprisingly sympathetic to the girl. I guess that fits what I know of her. Ananya is many things, but she cares when it comes to other peoples' problems.

I seem to be the exception. At least, as far as I can see.

Maybe I'm just too close to the situation to see it.

Duo finishes thinking through his words, and nods, slowly, hesitating as if unsure, "I suppose you could say that. Big sister isn't one to sit still. She doesn't like routine."

Big sister? Does that mean he's younger than me? Now I really feel short.

"It's been that way since the accident," he continues, but then he stops, "But that's all I have to say about that."

"There was an accident?" Ananya repeats. "Was she hurt?"

"She wasn't," he says, but I get the sense that he's hiding the whole of it from us. Still, this isn't any of our business. Even Ananya seems to realize that is truly the end of it. "I'm sorry, but Sie doesn't want to see any visitors right now. Thank you for not telling grandfather on her. She means well, she truly does."

"I see that, but, you can't think she's going about it right at all, can you?" I ask. I doubt Duo would, since I get the sense he's a lot more sensible than his sister.

"She's doing the best that she can with what she has," he answers, plainly, avoiding the question. "Good night."

That's the end of that, then. I take Ananya by the arm and drag her back to our rooms. She doesn't resist, but she does drag her heels a bit. "Look, I know you wanted to say hi, but she wants to be alone right now."

"Yeah, but," I don't know what she could object to there.

"She'll be okay. I get the sense that she's tougher than she looks."

"I guess you're right. Duo's really nice, too," she adds, "I can tell he really worries about his sister. I think he's just as lost as she is."

"What makes you say that?"

"Couldn't you see? Everything!"

What does that even mean?

"Okay, maybe not everything, but a lot of things. He really loves her, though, I can just tell. Call it woman's intuition."

I don't think his sibling love is under any scrutiny, Ananya, but okay.

"And I think there's a lot more to that accident than meets the eye. But you knew that, right? Okay, instead of searching for pirate booty, let's see if we can't find out what happened!"

I never thought I'd miss the thought of hunting down pirate treasure, "Ananya, that's none of our business. We should just leave it alone."

"Party pooper."

Because it's my fault that it's a bad idea.

"It's not a bad idea!"

I really need to stop muttering under my breath! "It is. At best, we'll get ignored, at worst, we'll be kicked out even before we start looking for the Avatar."

"We won't get kicked out."

"You say that now," I roll my eyes. "Let's just get to bed. We're both tired and we're probably not thinking straight. Besides, you didn't have to deal with Shih-na all day long."

"Yeah, okay," she tells me, looking away. Did I upset her? Great, this is exactly why I keep my mouth shut. "Good night, Kuzon."

"Ananya," I call out to her, and she looks at me, that carefree grin plastered on her face. "I know you want to help Sie, but this isn't the right way to go about it."

She looks at me, confused for a moment.

"Tomorrow, we'll think of something. Maybe we can convince her grandfather or, or, get her mother on our side."

"You want to help her, too?"

I guess I do. More than that, I guess I want to help Ananya, too. As much as she can annoy me through-out a long day on the road, she's still the first friend I've made out here in the world. I should probably say something like that aloud, but instead I just shrug.

Real smooth, Kuzon. No wonder you've got friends barging in through the palace doors back home.

"I'll take that as a yes," she says, the grin becoming more sincere, more heartfelt. "Good night, Kuzon. And, thanks. I," she pauses, "I know I can kind of do things without thinking them through. That's why I'm glad you're here."

She disappears in her room, leaving me to let that sink in.

She seemed to understand what I meant without me needing to say it.

I think she can read my mind. And that thought terrifies me.

* * *

The futon is a welcome change from the unsteady rocking of the sea, even if I'm a little unused to the simplicity of the thing. Even my dreams are pleasant for a change. Of course, as seems to be the case with my luck, everything pleasant is interrupted by someone shouting through my door.

"Breakfast!"

Well, worse ways to wake up, I suppose. I climb out of bed and throw on some clothes and walk out into the hall. Sie stares at me as I walk out. "Well, someone's hungry."

"It's you," I mutter.

She grins, "Come on. Your aunt and girlfriend are already up. What is with you boys and sleeping in late."

First off, she's not my girlfriend, and second off -- I don't know. Do girls not sleep in or something? That seems like a bit of an unfair generalization, actually. Not that Sie seems to care. I guess she's just being grumpy.

She sure is grumpy a lot.

"Hey,' she says, quietly, "Thanks for keeping shut about that thing earlier, Kuzon. I owe you."

"It's Ananya you should be worried about," I retort. "She doesn't usually think about what she's saying."

"Ha! Neither do I and I do fine. Besides, I spoke with her earlier. She's a nice girl, way too nice for someone like you," she adds with a wry grin. Is that a hint that she's being playful or is she serious? "She told me that old mask in the hall gave you a scare last night. It does that to Duo too, it's so funny."

"Duo?"

"Yeah, my kid brother? Tall and wide as a mountain, gentle as a rabbit-mouse, and about as timid. That's why I do the talking, you see, he doesn't really like talking with strangers and stuff. Notice how he goes like totally quiet in crowds?"

I did notice that, yes.

"He's just shy. Good kid, though," she smirks. "Great cook! But, unfortunately, since the sun isn't overhead, that means he's still in bed. He's just so slow." She shows me to the dining room where a plate is prepared.

It's nothing fancy, but it smells good.

"Morning, Kuzon!" Ananya greets me happily. Aunt Azula is sitting with a cup of tea, reading a collection of poetry at a leisurely pace.

"Good morning." I sit and take in the aroma. "So did you mother make these?".

"Nah, Mom's about as lazy as Duo," she says, looking embarrassed, "Guess that disproves my theory, huh?"

"I guess," I shrug. "And if you tell me your grandfather cooks, I won't believe you."

"He can't."

"So you made this," I observe. She nods, and then fidgets, "I'm no master chef, but hey. I said I owed you one, so this breakfast is on me, special. Don't tell mom, though, or she's going to get the totally wrong idea. She spent last night telling me just how 'cute' you are, already." Her mom does seem desperate for Sie to find a boyfriend. Well, unfortuantely, I am already spoken for.

That reminds me I hope Nadesico receives that letter soon, but messenger hawks are only so fast, and it's going to take the response some time to get back to us anyway. Well, maybe when we rendezvous with the ship in Wushon we'll have correspondance waiting.

"Well?"

"It's good," I say. It's definitely not gourmet cooking, but for breakfast, it hits the spot just fine. Ananya grins.

"Sie's very self-conscious. She demanded my opinion, too."

"It's good for a young lady to pursue many fields," Aunt Azula says, "My, when I was her age I just started discovering new blends of tea for my uncle's teashop."

"Tea? Blech." I see Sie and Aunt Azula will have a lot to argue about, so I settle in and continue to eat. Today, Ananya said she wanted to find a way to help Sie, and unfortuantely, I didn't have much time to think it over last night.

Aunt Azula pours Sie a cup of tea, and Ananya pushes forward a cup as well. I push one forward, and sit back. The problem is that it comes down to convincing the mother or the grandfather to let her go and live her life, and I don't think two travelers will be able to change any minds.

"Gahh! What is this!"

Oh, it's that blend again. Aunt Azula, you can be singularly wicked sometimes. I brace myself for the first biting taste, and try and focus my thoughts. I really doubt my authority as a prince will have any real power on citizens of the Earth Kingdom, so that's right out, and besides, we don't want to draw too much attention.

"Auntie Azula's special blend!"

"It's like it's eating my tongue!"

Not that this is the ideal spot to think up plans -- anyway, let's see. There was one other thing Sie mentioned to me last night before dinner. The Mizukaze Zaibatsu and its attempts to buy the town up wholesale.

As I've understood it, the town is in the same district as Ming Xi Bay, which makes things worse. The magistrate, if he really is on the Mizukaze's side, could draft an agreement that would hurt the town and solely benefit the zaibatsu.

Fantastic. But my grandfather's been trying to catch them in the act for years, and he's had no luck. I may be confident, but I'm not cocky. I'm not likely to find anything from the zaibatsu's end. But, the magistrate's another story. Those guys are bureaucrats, according to my tutors on Earth Kingdom civics and legality, which means they're under scrutiny.

If we could get the Mountain King proof that he's been doing somethiing here, maybe that'll make things for Sie just a little better, and as such, make Ananya happy.

But I don't even know where to start doing something like that!

"Now, now, dearie, it's not that bad. Try it again."

"Fool me once, old lady, fool me once."

But maybe I know someone who does. "Auntie, can I have a word?"

She nods, and we step aside, leaving Sie's wandering ears behind us. "It's about Sie."

"As I figured," she answers, "She's a fine girl. I don't suppose Ananya has gotten it into your head that you need to rescue her from her oppression."

"No, of course not. But Ananya does want to help her somehow."

"Ah, yes," she smiles at me, "Let me guess. You wish to find a way to convince her grandfather to let her set off on her own."

"I don't even think that's possible."

"Isn't it?" she smiles, "Perhaps you aren't seeing the trees for the forest, or whatever that saying is. I think very much he wants to let her pursue her dreams, but I do not think either he nor his granddaughter know how to make this a reality."

"Maybe, maybe not, Aunt Azula, but we can't just think he's going to change his mind at a stranger's suggestion."

"Oho," she temples her fingers, "Then you have some other way to help the girl? But that would put you in the face of dangerous enemies."

"What?"

"You wish to uncover the Zaibatsu's interest in this town, yes? This town is, according to Kuhahn, quite a profitable little piece of earth. The mine is reaching into a particularly rich vein, and the Zaibatsu has been trying to purchase it."

"Sie mentioned something like that."

"And so a girl plays pirate in a misguided attempt to fight back," she says, leaning forward, "And the boy in charge of operations makes but a simple, weak excuse that he cannot send guards to deal with this problem."

"I thought he just said that because it wasn't a problem. Or that he was lying about the pirates entirely."

"Clearly that's not true," she points out.

"I don't know what to do."

"Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing at all," she continues, "But I don't think Ananya will very much like that."

"No, she won't," I agree. It's why I'm in this predicament, actually. But I was certain that the magistrate was the best thing we could do.

"So you intend to poke the hornet's nest and see what falls out," she laughs, "Now that is a game. The magistrate is very obviously paid out by the zaibatsu. Their influence in the region is political as well."

"So?"

"If we remove him, a new one will be placed, and there's only a matter of time before the zaibatsu buys out the magistrate again. But time may be the only thing we can offer. So, my advice to you is to seek out the mine and see if you can discover anything untowards there."

Of course the only untoward thing is that accident Duo mentioned.

Great, that brings up more problems.

"I see you know what to do."

How does she do that? Can women read minds or something?

"So you've heard about the mining accident," so it was an accident at the mine? "I don't know where you heard that, but Kuhahn only briefly mentioned it."

"I can't just go asking about an accident like that!"

"The don't," she says. She shakes her head, "Children, must you always do things so straight-forward. It was a mining accident. If you cannot ask about the accident, then what does that leave?"

"You want me to ask about mining?"

"I'm sure if you let things progress, the accident will surely come up all on its own."

I don't think Ananya's going to be able to wait that long, but it's the only lead we've got. Apparently, Ananya's idea wasn't as terrible as I thought. "Come along," she says, "It's long past time you get underway."

"Yes, we have a lot to do. Do you think the Avatar really came here?"

"Honestly, I do not," she says, "He is like his granddaughter in many ways. He would not have let this stand if he'd been. Perhaps Ananya was mistaken, or maybe he just passed overhead. Still, there is a chance he passed by."

I guess.

Ananya did seem pretty flakey about where the Avatar was going. Just, it seems unlikely that she'd lie about it. I don't know, maybe she just got confused and instead meant he was going past Tiger Tooth Mountain or, or something.

Is there even a Tiger Tooth Mountain?

I shake my head and head into the dining room to find Ananya finishing my breakfast. Well, that's what I get for leaving it unguarded. "Hi!" she says, happily.

"Hi," is about all I can say. I look around for Sie, and shrug. She must have chores she needs to run. "Come on, it's time to get to work."

"Right!" she hops to her feet. "Did you think up anything?" Not really.

"Aunt Azula thinks that accident is fishy too," I tell her, "She suggests we go ask about mining, try and get them to ease into it. So, let them bring it up, got it?"

"I thought you said it was a bad idea."

"I meant just going around saying, 'Tell me about the accident.'" Please don't doubt me, Ananya, I'm smarter than you are.

"Okay, whatever," she shrugs. "Also, we should see if grandpa stopped by."

"Aunt Azula doesn't think he did."

Did she just turn white? She looks like a bedsheet.

"Oh, she thinks that huh? I bet she does. I bet," she pauses, "That she," another brief pause, "Does."

"But he could have just flew overhead somewhere else, I guess," I shrug. I don't really doubt Ananya thought he was coming here, but she sure does act suspicious all the time. Maybe I should rethink my trust in her.

"Yeah! That must totally be it." She puffs up her chest to look important, and points out to the door, "Now! Onward, to the mine!"

"Hooray." This is going to be a long day, I can just feel it.

* * *

The mine runs deep into the ridge, and we have to pass by several large dragon's teeth to arrive there. This held up our arrival by, oh, I'd say about thirty minutes. Ananya leapt atop one and nearly fell off, then told me I had to climb up and catch her.

And then she jumped to another one. It really wasn't fair!

So, inordinately tired for a fifteen minute trip, I light up when we finally arrive. It's a small shaft leading further into the ridge, but it's busy, loaded with miners -- earthbenders by the looks, who, covered in dust and grime, look surprised when we arrive.

"You there!" a man calls out to us. "You from Mizukaze?"

I don't follow.

"Fire Nation, Jiro, got to be," a worker says.

The man, apparently the foreman, gives him a stern glance and walks up closer to us. "You deaf, kid? I asked if you're from Mizukaze."

"I --"

"Of course he is!" Ananya leaps in with an interjection. Of course, she looks like she's hardly broken a sweat. Must be nice to be able to jump twenty feet into the air. "I'm his personal assistant, Ananya, and this is, uh, Chief Relations Officer Kuzon." Oh, and now she's congratulating herself for coming up with that.

"How do you do," I say, weakly.

"Finally, they sent someone other than a grunt. Like we said in the report, we'd love to open the shaft, but Kuhahn ain't budging."

"Why should you care?"

"Because he bought up the mine when he moved in here. Man's loaded, I don't know," the foreman says, obviously jittery. "Look, I don't like going behind Kuhahn's back on this. He's a good guy, just stubborn and proud. Besides, he thinks you had something to do with the collapse."

In other words, he thinks the accident isn't just an accident. "Of course he would."

"Of course!" Ananya agrees with me. I think personal assistants should be a little quieter, personally.

"So why hasn't Kuhahn let you at least clear the shaft?"

"Well, after we cleared out the rubble looking for survivors, Kuhahn just told us to stop and use the other shafts. Don't know why. Don't ask me to explain what he's doing. Guess what happened with his son --"

"His son? What does his son have to do with this?"

"His son was with a group of earthbenders digging the shaft," the foreman said, "Told him it was dumb. The earthbenders could handle themselves if there was a cave-in, but that guy? Waterbender, out of his mind to be working that mine."

"Well, shouldn't he have been fine with a team of earthbenders."

"That's why I let it happen, yeah," the foreman explains, rubbing his neck, "But, you didn't hear this from me, but your boss, the friendly guy?"

"Kenta?"

"No, his grandfather, the big, tall guy who's everyone's best bud," the foreman says, trying to describe the person. Ryotaro Mizukaze, a man I'd only seen at a distance. He sure didn't look friendly, from what I remember.

"Yes, of course."

"He was here the day it happened. Gotta be about six months back. He'd just spoken with Kuhahn and they both looked out of sorts after. Guess that's where the stupid idea that you guys sabotaged the shaft came from."

"I don't suppose the magistrate's heard these rumors."

"Heard them? He's at the center of them," the foreman says, but slows down, "Not that it's right of me to speak ill of the man."

"We won't tell!" Ananya says, "Please, tell us!"

"Fine. It's just rumor, probably baseless," he tells us, prefacing his tale. "But, see, the rumor's go that he's gotten a little too in-bed with you guys. Kuhahn, they say, called him out on that and it became personal. Some even think that cave-in was caused by the magistrate."

An earthbender with a grudge, a cave in, and a valuable resource for a foreign zaibatsu -- now this is certainly a mess. I look to Ananya, and nod.

"That'll be all," she says, formally, "Don't worry. Most of that's going off-the-record. We need us a foreman at the mine no matter what!"

"Yeah," the foreman says, weakly, "The kid said that, too. Man, you guys hire young. Wonder if my son could get a job. Probably pays more than this."

"Maybe," I shrug.

"And another thing, don't think Kuhahn's a bad guy. I've worked witih him a long time," he looks so apologetic, "He deserves a fair shake. He helped turn this town into what it is today. If it weren't for him, well, we wouldn't have gotten off the ground."

He waves us off, no longer interested in what we have to say, and I look at Ananya with a weary slouch. "So, we found out that the accident wasn't an accident after all. Big surprise, right?"

"Right," Ananya agrees. "But I guess that makes sense. Poor Sie." I put my hand on her shoulder. It must be painful to lose a parent, and I can see Ananya's sympathy in her eyes. "I'm okay," she tells me, "Thanks, though, Kuzon. You're a lot nicer than I thought."

Me? Nice? No, that's not right.

"Of course, all we've got is hearsay and rumor," I add, "No ,magistrate is going to be tried for that little. And it's not like we can just poke around the mines."

"So we're at a dead end."

"Maybe," I sigh. "Maybe we should ask Kuhahn about that. Our grandparents know the Mountain King, maybe if we explain that, we can --"

"Isn't that Miss Ling?"

Ling Lei Fang? Yes, now that you mention it, that is definitely her. I wave at her, and to my surprise, she runs straight at me, her eyes filled with terror. "Kuzon, Ananya, thank goodness. Your aunt told me to fetch you -- I don't know what to do --"

"What's wrong?"

"I was just helping father with his water garden when someone came up to the front desk. I couldn't believe my eyes, but it was Magistrate Hun as well as a few men from the Mizukaze Zaibatsu -- they said they came to arrest Sie and Duo!"

"What did you do?"

"I insisted that it must be some mistake, that those, those pirates were someone else, it just couldn't be my babies, but --"

"Oh no," Ananya whispers.

"Where are they now?"

"Back, back in town," she says, short of breath.

"We'll get there," Ananya says, "Come on, Kuzon, hurry! Sie and Duo need us! Now!" Yes! I know! But what can we really do? They are the pirates, remember? I can't shake this uneasy feeling.

Kenta -- he must have planned this; the flimsy excuse about the security, teams of ostrich horses I could count on my hands just to use us as bait. That two-faced jackel, he must have used us to draw them out.

But why?

Kuhahn? The mine? Just because he could? I don't know.

Misguided attempts to help, that's all they were. They didn't mean anyone any harm, and they certainly didn't deserve whatever Kenta was planning for them back in Ming Xi. A crow flies overhead, casting the shadow of his wings on the ground.

I suppose my eyes are drawn to foreboding omens. I hope I missed a happy white dove flying on our right, because that would make me feel better about this.

* * *

"Let go of me!"

"That's Sie!" Not that I need you telling me that, Ananya. I clench my hands into fists and break into a dash, chasing after Ananya. "Hurry!" I know! I can't just hover across the air on a ball of fire like you and your air -- scootering -- thing.

Not that we have far to run. This is all taking place in the center of town, Sie flailing desperately to break the security officer's hold on her while her grandfather and brother look on, a security officer blocking their path.

Kuhahn's eyes are fierce, with embers burning deep within. "I'm telling you, you don't got the right to parade my grandkids through the street like some sort of common criminal."

"I disagree." Whoa, there's a slimy voice. And I thought Kenta was bad. This guy sounds like he crawled up from the bottom of a swamp. He looks even slicker. He's an old sort, with a thin, humorless and wrinkled face. White whiskers droop, and he looks clearly unamused.

"That's a lot of gold," Ananya points out in a whisper. I don't think I've ever seen anyone dressed in so many gems, either. Gold chains, precious green gems of every size, cut so they shimmer in the noon sun.

"More onlookers. Send them away," the man says. This must be our friendly local magistrate, Magistrate Hun. Charming guy,

"What's going on? Where are you taking Sie?" Ananya stands defiant, and it looks that, by merit of me standing next to her, I have no choice but to hold my ground. And that security officer looks like he's a pretty accomplished Firebender.

Why did I think this was a good idea, again?

"Little girl," the old magistrate says patronizingly to Ananya, "We're putting away a very bad young lady who has caused nothing but trouble for everyone in this town."

"Shut up!" Sie spits. "Come on, Ananya, tell them I'm no crook!"

"We have eyewitnesses," the magistrate says, "The facts are clear and I act with the full vested power of the office of magistrate under the Mountain King to place this girl undr arrest. My authority is absolute."

I frown. "Kuzon, think of something!" Ananya urges.

"I don't know,' I say, "What is this girl charged with."

"She is a thief and a vandal. The Mizukaze Zaibatsu has been calling for her head for months." Six months or so, I bet. Not that you'd know anything about that. Well, as a foreign prince, I've got nothing I can do.

"There's got to be something!" Ananya says, "Come on Kuzon!"

You know, for the first time, I really felt powerless because of my position. As a prince, I can't just act on my first instinct and punch this guy in the face. He's smiling, the folds of wrinkles creasing as his jaw seems to emerge from underneath. "Is there something you wanted to add, young man?"

"Miss Lei Fang," I say, "I need you to do something for me."

"Huh?" She stops her struggling for a second, "What is it?"

"I need you to identify yourself."

Yes, I'm going for a long shot.

"My name's Sie Lei Fang, I work at my mother's inn," she says, hesitantly, "LIke that?"

"I need you to identify yourself like you did when we first met," I urge.

"I can't!" she looks terrified.

I can't blame her. I'm asking her to confess to a crime that ends up with very quick executions, and if she survives that, her grandfather is there listening to every word coming out of her mouth. But it's just the only option I've got.

"Trust us, Sie," Ananya pleads, "Please!"

"But," she looks at me with wide eyes, but I stare ahead steadfast.

"What is it you're playing, young man?" the magistrate asks. He's studying me intently. So he recognizes me, does he? I can't let him figure this out.

"Sie, now!"

"My name is Sie Lei Fang," she says, and hanging her head, "My name is Sie Lei Fang and I'm --"

"Do not let her finish," the magistrate barks, but it's too late. Sie clenches her eyes shut and shouts at the top of her lungs.

"And I'm a pirate!"

Kuhahn looks at Sie, his eyes narrowing and then he looks at me, and says with a snarl, "What is the meaning of this? Do you have some sort of grudge against my granddaughter?"

"No," the magistrate looks absolutely stunned, "Why are you even here!"

"I can't believe we're trying this," Ananya whispers to me. I nod back at her. I can't quite believe it's working so far. The magistrate recognizes me, that's for certain, so he knows what comes next. Let's see him wriggle out of this.

"It does not matter. My authority in this matter is complete," he says, "After all, the provisions on dealing with pirates clearly states that it is well within a magistrate's right to carry out sentence."

It does, except for one little detail.

"The apprehension of a person or persons identified by name, title, or manifest as party to activities of piracy, including but not limited to seizure of cargo or ship or the engagement in combat of a military vessel of the sovereign kingdoms or nations of Earth and Fire, shall be carried out by the senior-most ranked official of either sovereign governments on the scene," I recite from memory. Never thought I'd need it.

"Which would be myself," he says.

"As Prince of the Fire Nation," I say, frowning, "I disagree."

"Prince? You're a prince?" Poor Sie, did my grand unveiling surprise you? Well, here's hoping you don't all hold a grudge against me since I'm doing this to save your life.

"You're just a boy."

"I'm sixteen, and as such, a man," he says, "Or would you like to take up discussing the provision with my uncle. He enjoys legal discussions." I motion for the men to move, "Release her."

"But, but," the magistrate's face is flat and frightened, "This makes no sense. She has confessed to being a pirate."

"Are you questioning my authority?" Though he's right, this really doesn't make any sense. "I said to release her."

Sie pulls her hands away from their restraints and stands up straight, "There."

She seems happy, but I can't help but tense up. Something doesn't feel right about this. Hun is stroking his whiskers thoughtfully, watching her ridicule the security officers foolishly. "I got a bad feeling about this," Ananya adds.

Glad I'm not alone.

"Seize the girl, and forget the law," the magistrate says, "Kenta Mizukaze wants an example made out of her one way or the other."

"What?" There rises, like a candle under the breeze, a flickering light in Kuhahn's old eyes. "Forget the law? The Prince there told you to let her go."

"And I don't care," he smiles a thin, careful smile, "Who'd have thought someone like you would lecture me on laws. Here is a lesson, the one with the money makes the law."

"That's a load of monkey feathers," he protests.

"Oh please, Kuhahn, you argue like a dairy farmer."

"How appropriate, you old stick, you fight like a cow."

"What's a cow?" I don't know, Ananya.

"Why are you hesitating? Seize her!" he says, and the security officers hesitate only a second longer before turning on Sie. The girl looks desperately around. She finds the stables, and smirks.

"Come and get me!" she says, running towards Shih-na's trough. What is she trying to do, get that bird to peck everyone to death? She won't just stop at the security officers, I assure you! Still, she stops at the trough and raises her hands up into the air.

The water in the trough freezes as it rises up, forming into one large ball of ice that she takes and launches at the first security officer. He barely has time to stop when the large thing collides, knocking him down and splitting the ice in two.

It doesn't even reach the ground before she moves again, splitting the attack two ways, each half spinning and ramming the other security officers. She recalls the halfs with a pushing gesture and returns to a hard and steady stance like an earthbender's.

I've never seen a waterbender move so, so rigidly before. I wonder if Ananya has. She shakes her head, "Never seen it done like that before."

Water floats in the air, held up apparently by her will. "Come on, who wants to take me."

Hun looks at the beleaguered security team, and scowls, his teeth shining brown underneath the folds of wrinkles over his mouth, :"Pathetic. If you want something done --" He falls into a very elementary mantis stance, "Come on, little girl. Time for your lesson."

"Kuzon, we got to help!"

You want me to attack a magistrate? Especially one who's a master earthbender? When my firebending is like this? Are you crazy!

"I can handle this, Ananya," Sie says, "Besides. This is personal."

"Your entire brood is far too arrogant, Kuhahn," he says, "Shall I teach you a lesson like I taught your father?"

Did he just admit -- no, he couldn't have -- but he did!

"You're the one responsible for the accident?"

He brings his arm out in a long arc, spraying dirt in front of Sie and bringing himself back to cut a fissure across the ground, "I said no such thing," he tells me with a cruel grin. The sun sparkles off of his jewelry, and he charges forward.

"Sie!" Ananya calls out.

"I know, I see him," she says, grinning, "He's like a big sparkly object." She's already circumvented the fissure and sprays the ice across the ground, smashing it with her fist and sending an icy trail of spikes towards the magistrate.

I've definitely never seen waterbending like this before, but I think, briefly, that it's reminiscent of what the magistrate is doing right now. She's waterbending like she were an earthbender. So that's the Lei Fang style?

This is just very weird.

It's like watching two earthbenders fight. Irresistible force against immovable object. The first to yield loses. Sie's got the advantage, however. Weird as it is to say, water makes a pretty impressive shield, and she's able to form it much more quickly than the old man.

But she's running out of water, and the magistrate isn't looking set to yield. "It's only a matter of time," he warns her. "Give up now." A ball of ice collides with a boulder, the ice shattering and then turning into a rain of small lances against the magistrate.

He hides behind a shield, "You may be right, but I'm not going to just lay over and die."

"Sie," Kuhahn says, his eyes burning, "This fight is over. You can't beat him like this."

"Listen to your grandfather," the magistrate says. "He knows what he's talking about."

Kuhahn's eyes glimmer dangerously as he approaches Magistrate Hun. "You know, Hun, it's true what I said earlier." He just slugs him, I didn't even see him draw his arm back, "You fight like a cow."

He responds quickly, slamming Kuhahn in the chest with a boulder shot straight up from the ground. "You disrespectful old seal."

Kuhahn is floored, but he seems to be breathing fine. Duo attends to him, quietly looking to Sie, shaking his head.

"Papa!"

"That was dishonorable," I snarl.

"He's all right. He's survived worse," the magistrate says, "But if you want to keep pushing it, little girl."

This guy's slime, but I doubt I could react fast enough to stop him. Duo looks pleadingly to Sie, and I can't blame him. He needs rest, not more fighting. "Fine, you win. Happy?"

"Exceedingly." He looks at me and leers, "Do you intend to intercede?"

"You're nothing but a Mizukaze tool," I point out, "You're abusing your position and I'll make sure the Mountain King knows."

"No one's even seen the Mountain King in years," the magistrate says, "So excuse me if I don't take your threats very seriously."

I scowl. "I guess there's nothing else I can do."

"Very good," the magistrate says. "Get them to the local drunk tank or whatever they have for a cell. We'll take them to Ming Xi tomorrow. Oh, pull yourselves together. Yes, the old man too."

"Papa needs a doctor!" Sie pleads.

"I don't care."

Kuhahn struggles to smile, "I'm okay, Sie. I can't let him take you off alone. Pirates have to stick together."

"I'm going to savor this. Everytime you and your Red Sails humiliated me, I've dreamed of this very moment. It's so very sweet," he says with a sick grin. "The money was a nice bonus, too."

"Father! Sie!" Ling arrives just in time to see them taken away, "Where are you taking them?"

"These individuals are under arrest by the authority of the Magistrate of Ming Xi and its surrounding villages. Now out of our way, peasant."

"Don't worry, Ling," Kuhahn says, "I know what I'm doing."

Ling looks to me for an explanation. I don't know what to say, but I try anyway. "Let's go inside," I tell her, "We need a nice cup of tea to get through this."

* * *

She understands, I think, the gist of the situation, though she remains fretful over her daughter. "I don't think you have to worry," Ananya says, "Grandpa Kuhahn seems to have a plan!"

"I don't know about that," I answer, "But we shouldn't give up yet."

Duo hangs his head and looks at me. Sometimes he gets so quiet you forget he's there, which says something about him. "He said he'd make an example of her." Kenta wants to make an example of her, actually. That two-faced little -- when I see him next -- oh, forget polite society, I want to punch him right on the jaw.

"They won't be able to make it back to Ming Xi tonight," Aunt Azula speaks up at last. She quietly listened to the story, never once making comment. I wonder what she thinks.

"Aren't you royalty? Can't you do something?" Ling demands of me. Yes, I am royalty, no, I can't help you because we're in the middle of the Earth Kingdom. I think maybe we should teach the common man civics, just to avoid this sort of confusion.

"To do so would have been considered an act of aggression," Aunt Azula speaks up for me. "Kuzon did everything correct, particularly in regards to forcing the Magistrate to chose between his own petty wants and the law of the land."

"But what good does that do?" I wonder.

"Quite a bit," she adds, "The man is clearly corrupt, and has shown his true colors in front of a price. Your word will carry weight, enough to strip the man of his title and priveliges."

"You mean, you mean we can save them?"

"That's the plan," Ananya says, "Wow, Kuzon, you had this all planned out from the start, I bet. You're a lot smarter than you look." Well, yes, of course I did. I totally saw the big picture right from the start.

Oh help me, Agni, I am in over my head here.

"Kuhahn said he had things in hand," I say, "But I don't like waiting. They're probably in a local cell."

"That would be the town hall," Ling says. "How can Kuhahn have a plan? They would need an earthbender to break those walls."

Duo stands up, "We'll go and see to it he gets free."

"Duo, no, you can't. Oh, this is all my fault," Ling says, suddenly, "I'll go."

"Mother, please," Duo says, forcefully, "I've been thinking this whole time. When they came, Sie took all the blame. I know I'm not very fast, but," he pauses, "I've been thinking I should be the one to help her and Grandfather."

"The boy's a good earthbender, I can see that," Aunt Azula says, "And Kuzon is very handy with that blade."

"I'll help too," Ananya says, "Sie needs us now more than ever!"

"Don't worry, we'll get them out. There can't be too many guards with them," I say, "It'll work out." I can't believe I'm going to be planning a break-out. Admittedly, it's more of liberating political prisoners, but still, it's all the same thing.

"Kuzon, do not overexert yourself," Aunt Azula warns. "Miss Ling and I will wait here. We will wait half an hour. If there is no word, I will presume you have failed."

"And then what?" Ananya's innocence shines through. I already know her answer.

"And then, I will continue waiting, of course."

Typical Aunt Azula.

"You're sure about this, Duo?" He nods to me. "Okay. We'll do this after sundown." I don't even know what I'm about to jump into, but my stomach is doing backflips. Sundown is only hours away, and until then all I have to do is wait.

* * *

"The moon's almost full. Yue's smiling on us tonight," Ananya says, reverently. I hope so, for all our sakes. I guess our chances are pretty good. The security officers didn't even seem to be all that alert earlier.

However, if the magistrate himself is guarding them, well, then we're in for a bit of trouble. The past few hours went too quickly, and I couldn't settle my stomach. "So, what do we do?" Ananya asks me.

Like I have any idea. "Duo, where is the town hall?"

He points down the street, and lets me lead. If this is supposed to build confidence it's not working. "Remember, we're the good guys. Even when we do 'bad' things, we do it for the right reason."

I'm relatively sure that they're still bad things, Ananya.

"Rule one, pirates do what's right," Duo concurs. I don't know how I feel about that. The town hall is the only building with any lights on, a candle in the window of a back room sends a light over the stone fence.

"Well, let's get over this fence!" Ananya says, making a running leap, hopping onto the wall and then off it again, changing directions midair. I can feel the winds pick up as she does so. I shake my head slowly.

"I'm not climbing that," I say.

Duo nods, walking up to the wall and tracing his hand over the mortarless stone bricks. He pushes them, and they start to move, one after another, until a space large enough for us to walk through opens up.

"Show off," Ananya mutters to herself, watching as we walk through the wall. He moves with a fluid movement once we're out, pushing the stones back in place.

"Come on," I whisper. Ananya's eager to take point, crouching down and being stealthy as she can in her bright orange clothes. At least I had the sense to put on dark clothing. Duo, well -- hey, where did he go?

"Ananya, slow down," I whisper. I hope we haven't lost him already --

"We need to hurry," Duo speaks, and I notice him right besides me. When did he get there? How can a guy that big move so quietly!

"See, Kuzon? Relax. We're almost there!"

Why are we talking so much? We need to keep our heads down before someone notices us. "You hear that?" Like that! Why do you have to make everything so difficult, Ananya? Can you tell me that?

"I'll check it out. Wait here."

Duo tenses, and we look for a place to hide. "Hurry," Ananya says, speeding us along without actually lending a hand herself, "We don't have long!" Maybe it's me, but isn't that a little unfair of her?

Unfortunately, this place is pretty dry and there's more grass than there is foliage. "What do we do?" Ananya says, panic in her voice.

"Improvise," I say. If I can just get a hit on the guy before he can shout out. He's approaching us from the side, but it's too dark for us to really be noticeable. But if he gets a little closer, I'll have a clear shot. I need to move like lightning.

Clamp something over his mouth and then knock him to the ground, just like that. Wait, did I just see that? The man's mouth is covered by a stone muzzle, and his feet are tied together by small shackles of the same. I look over at Duo. I didn't even see him move.

"Sorry," he whispers, "I decided to improvise."

"Don't apologize. That was impressive," I say, hurrying over to the guy. I give him a quick knock to the head to take him out, and nod at Duo to remove the gag. The man is limp and unconscious, but we don't have time. "We need to go."

"Yes, pronto!" Ananya says. With that, we should outnumber the guards. I peek into the window. Sure enough, there are now only two standing guard, both looking anxious. I'd guess they expected that guy back by now. Too bad for them he's not going to be back until morning.

"We need to ambush them," I say, "Knock them out, open the cell, and get out of here."

"Okay, got it!" Ananya whispers. "Charge!": She just vaults through the window. I can hear the guards shouting in surprise and I notice the light of the candle go out. Next thing I hear are some pained gasps and Ananya's shouting.

"Your friend is very noisy," Duo says.

"Tell me about it." I look in through the window and nearly bump heads with Ananya in the process. "How'd it go?"

"They're out like a light. See, Kuzon, this was easy. Nothing to worry about."

I climb in through the window and offer Duo a hand to help climb up. He squeaks through the doorframe and finds the cell. "Are you guys okay?" Ananya calls in through the little hole in the stone.

"What are you guys doing here?" Sie asks, hushed whispers through the hole.

"Better question is what took you." Kuhahn sounds confident for an old guy. "Duo, open the cell. We've got a lot of work to do before morning."

"I almost feel sorry for those guys," Ananya says. So do I, actually. They got knocked about silly by Sie, and now Ananya took them down without breaking a sweat. They're twitching on the ground, too. It's kind of pathetic.

Hey, that one's not quite as out as he looked. "Ananya, get back!" The man moves in a way I recognize, a basic but effective kick, causing a lick of flame to catch on the wood table. Is this guy stupid?

I reach out to extinguish the flame almost by habit, clenching my fist and hoping I could exert a stronger force than this man. With my other hand, I raise my blade, waving it around menacingly at him. "Don't even think about running."

He looks me in the eye. "Or what?"

"Or the earthbender, airbender, or Fire Nation prince waving a sword at you will do something you'll regret. It could be any of us, or any combination really," I say. "We're not picky."

"You're weird sometimes, Kuzon." Ananya has no idea. I'm like this all the time even if I don't go around spouting it at everyone I meet.

The man looks at Ananya, then behind me at Duo. I cast a quick glance behind me and see Sie and Kuhahn leaving the cell. "We could add the waterbender, too, if you'd like."

He scowls. "Mizukaze don't pay enough for this gig."

"Good answer."

"Nice!" Ananya whispers, "You were kind of cool, there. I think I just fell in love." I roll my eyes. She's a weird one, all right. "Sie! You're okay!"

"Thanks, Duo," she says to her brother, quieter than I expect from her. "And of course I'm okay? Why wouldn't I be. Didn't expect the princey here to show up. I don't suppose you have an ivory ostrich horse waiting to carry me off, too."

"Sorry," I don't even know why I apologize, but I've got to smirk.

"Doesn't matter," Kuhahn says. He gives me a calculated look. "We need to get a message to the others."

What others? Is there something he's not telling me.

"I'll talk to the foreman," Duo says. "He'll be able to get most of the workers."

"I'll help!" Ananya volunteers.

"Good idea," Kuhahn agrees, "And while you do that, I'll fill in the Prince here on the battle plan."

The two of them are gone, and I'm left with Sie and her grandfather, feeling just a bit uncomfortable to be in front of a legendary pirate and his granddaughter. I mean, my uncle hunted this guy down. "You know," he says, "I'm impressed that a prince would stand up for a pirate like that."

"She didn't really break any laws, not any worth sending a girl to jail," I try and explain. Besides, I know Kenta, and there's nothing legal about that arrest to begin with.

"Maybe so, but she's just as much a pirate as I was." He grins at me, "Surprised that I was a pirate?"

"Not particularly," I answer, "We studied it at the Academy."

"I suppose you would," the old man says, "You know what's sad, though? Took me a kid pretending to be a pirate," I can see Sie wincing at that, "To remind me why I became one in the first place." He puts an arm around Sie's shoulder, "You're as much a pirate as I am, now, Sie."

"Really?" her eyes light up.

"Pirate's only got one law," he says to me, "To be free. You know how the Water Tribes were? Stuffy. That's why I left, and that's why I became a pirate. Still, it became profitable too, don't get me wrong."

I guess, but what does this have to do with the battle plan? "There's something else about being a pirate, though. My second rule," he says, "Make friends, not enemies."

I can't even figure out what he means by that. "So, you're saying you've got friends."

"That's right," he says, "Right here in town."

"I hate to say it, but a few pirate buddies aren't going to cut it against that old man."

"A couple?" he laughs. What's so funny about that? It's true. However many friends he's got, it's not going to be enough. It would take, I don't know, at least half the town.

"Half the town used to be part of my crew!" Wait? What? The town's made up of pirates? But, but there's no water for miles. "Perfect place to hide. Everyone thinks pirates are going to be on the high seas, not underground working the seams."

"I hate to say it," I begin, "But I don't think they're going to help."

"They will," he answers, without missing a beat, "I know they've been pushing for me to listen to Mizukaze, but when push comes to shove, when they attack one of us, they attack all of us. That's one of my rules."

"See?" Sie grins, "Things are getting better."

I have to admit, it's getting better, a little better. It can't get any worse.

Still, Kuhahn seems a different man than before. A lot fiercer, more fitting of the legendary status ascribed to him. I wonder if he was like this before that accident, or if he'd grown complacent living here away from the life he'd left behind.

"Come on," he says, clasping a hand on my shoulder, "Let's go out. Got to be ready to greet the old crew."

I shrug. Sie grins at me, "Come on, don't be such a grump. This is going to be fun, trust me."

"Your grandfather seems to be enjoying this."

"Yeah! Isn't it great? Gramps is back to his old self." She rushes ahead to the front door of the building. She throws open the heavy wooden door and stops. "Oh no. Papa, we're in trouble." Oh great! What now?

"What is it?" he asks, moving to join her. He stops and looks at me. "We've got company, Prince."

I see that. It's the magistrate and he doesn't look very happy to see any of us. "I should have expected that you wouldn't abide by my rules, Prince Kuzon. I'm very disappointed in you. The Mountain King will be informed of this in my report."

"Magistrate Hun, the Fire Nation does not recognize you as a representative of the Earth Kingdom," I say as regally as I can. "That means," I pause, what do I say next? "That means I --" Can I start over?

"That means he's not going to listen to you anymore. And if you don't like it --"

"Enough, Miss Lei Fang, I understood what the Prince was trying to say. I worked with Prince Lu Ten when he was your age. He was a bright boy, very capable of dealing with the pirate problem, just not very capable of dealing with the Red Sails."

Kuhahn's eyes spark in the dark, and he shouts in a boistrous voice, "This old timer has a problem with the Red Sails."

I can see lanterns in the dark, they look like fireflies in the distance, but they grow brighter quicker. There has to be at least a hundred, and they're led by the same brash foreman from before. "What do you say to that, Gan?"

The foreman grunts, "A problem with the Red Sails? He wants to dsicuss it proper like?"

"I don't know, old friend," Kuhahn smirks. "What do you think, Sie?"

"I think he should discuss it nice and proper," Sie says, grinning ear to ear. "What about you, Kuzon?"

Wait, is she inducting me into a band of pirates? Uncle Lu Ten would kill me if he knew. And I really want to tell hiim right now, too.

"Let's sit down and discuss."

"What is the meaning of this?"

"We got everyone," Ananya says from the other side of the crowd, "And when they heard what you did at the mine, they decided to come."

"Now see here," the magistrate says, anxiously, "There's no proof. This girl is making wild accusations."

"S'what I thought at first," the foreman says, "That's why I thought I'd send a lad to check the collapsed mine tunnel. Sorry, Captain, ignoring an order like that."

Kuhahn smiles weakly, "He would understand."

The magistrate's face goes pale white, "You can't be serious. What proof is there to be found?"

"Don't know," the foreman answers, "Doesn't mean we won't find anything. Certainly doesn't mean we will. You wouldn't have any ideas what we'd find if someone were to have collapsed that tunnel, would you?"

He's squriming. The man's guilty, and everyone here can see it now.

"You must be joking," the man says, fiddling with a ring on his finger, "This is some kind of sick joke. Kuhahn, you old fool, stop this right this instant."

"It's out of my hands now, Magistrate Hun. Sorry. But, didn't you say yourself, 'Forget the law' this very afternoon?"

The crowd grows restless. The boy they sent can't come back soon enough for them, and Hun is looking anxious. "It takes about ten minutes to get there. Assuming he only needs a little bit of time to search," the foreman says, "He ought to be on his way back now."

So, ten minutes, Magistrate, what's your move? Not much time left at all.

I'm really enjoying watching him fumble for an answer. His wrinkled face is just creased with terror. "I don't, I don't need to respond to these wild accusations."

Of course you do. They're true, after all.

"The shaft collapsed on its own. Shoddy earthbending, I'm sure."

"How sure are you?" the foreman asks, "You been down there?"

"No, but it's the only explanation. A waterbender wouldn't know what to do down there. Pirate, too, from the sounds of it --"

"Yutan had plenty of experience in new shafts," the foreman retorts, "And I sent a couple benderx with him in case of that."

"Terribly shoddy, probably going over some hollow caverns. The floor collapsed, didn't it?"

A young man, a little younger than me, runs through the crowd, and things go quiet. He whispers to the foreman something, and he claps his hand against his shoulder quickly. "Funny you should say that. Boy here says the floor was collapsed, except when he went down to see why, it wasn't exactly a cavern. More of a tunnel."

The magistrate turns white as a ghost.

"A tunnel? How horrible," he says, "Someone must have sabotaged your efforts. I will launch an investigation at once."

"He says someone must have sabotaged the tunnel," Kuhahn says, addressing the crowd. "I think we all know who."

"I suppose. Sounds like piracy to me," Sie says, grinning at me, "Seizure of cargo and the like, right?"

"I don't think it'll hold up to a traditional court, but," I pause, "I guess."

"So that means you," Sie says, "As the most senior official or whatever is supposed to handle his apprehension."

"I suppose I am," I say. "Seize him, and put him in the cell for now, unitl the Mountain King can decide what to do about his crimes."

"This is ludicrous!" the magistrate protests, "This isn't legal! I've read the law! I've read it! This, this is, this is mob justice, this won't stand!"

"I'll leave that up to the Mountain King," i answer.

"No! Let go of me!" he shouts as the foreman takes him into a firm grip, "You won't get away with this, Kuhahn! You won't!"

"Yeah, we'll see about that," he says as he moves aside to let them pass. "Good work, Prince. Didn't think you had it in you."

Aw, really? Because I didn't think you were such a bully. I guess that guy deserved it, but still, Kuhahn's a bit intimidating.

"And Sie," Kuhahn bows his head, "You're an idiot. But your heart's in the right place."

"Gee, thanks, Gramps. You're pretty dense yourself." He gives her a gloweing look, before she pulls him into a hug, "I still love you." Well, isn't that nice? "Hey, Duo! We need to celebrate! I'm starved!"

Hey, wait a minute!

"Hey, Kuzon!" And there's Ananya running up to me now. "Hey! Listen!"

"What is it." I'm not in the mood, Ananya. I can't believe we've been here a whole day and haven't heard anything about the Avatar.

"Gee, you're grumpy." She smiles at me, "I guess I won't tell you what I heard." She walks away, slowly.

"What are you talking about anyway?"

She spins around on her heel and grins, "About Grandpa!"

She grins wider. Do I look that funny right now? "You heard something?"

"He was headed to Omashu. Maybe the Mountain King knows something about where he went." She hops on her feet, "Exciting, right?"

"Omashu? Why would he go to Omashu through here?"

"Dunno!" she chirps. "Maybe you should ask him when you meet him!"

I think I will do that. I've also got questions about you, Ananya.

"Hey! You two!" Sie's runs up to us, dragging me by the arm, "You coming or not?" Where are we going? She's got a tight grip, and Ananya's already running alongside us. "You saved my life! And, well, I want to thank you."

"Come on, let's go, Kuzon!"

What else can I do? The two of them seem so excited. After today, unwinding sounds like a good idea, so I let them drag me along and let myself ignore for a minute the growing unease I'm feeling.

Omashu, the city I saw in my dream, and that great black raven with three talons -- what could all of this mean?

Is this what Ananya meant by strange dreams?

_To be continued._


	9. The Road to Wushon

_**Spirits Like White Lightning**_

_By Iain R. Lewis_

_Disclaimer: Avatar belongs to Nickelodeon. Kuzon, Ananya, and any other new characters belong to me._

**Chapter 9: **_The Road to Wushon_

It's late.

It's terribly, terribly late and I feel like I'm about to keel over. Sie already passed out, before anyone else actually, and this party was her idea. I don't know what's more bizarre, the sleeping, innocent looking 'Mighty Pirate' over across the room, or her tiny mother carrying her to her room with one arm.

Duo nods to us, indicating he's also going to retire apparently, and his grandfather nods in return. A simple, wordless exchange, but Duo doesn't seem to need words.

"Wow, it's late," Ananya yawns, "Way past my bed time."

"Then go to bed," I say, more tired than irritated with her right now. She shrugs, and rests her head against my shoulder suddenly. I can feel my body freeze, very literally, and she looks up.

"What's the matter?"

"Why are you doing that?"

"Tired, duh," she yawns. "But I don't want to miss the party."

"I think the party's over, Ananya," I look over at Aunt Azula, who's sitting staring straight ahead, "Auntie, I think we should be getting some sleep if we're going to Wushon tomorrow." I don't get a response.

Peculiar.

"Aunt Azula?" I proffer, more concerned this time. She's always so sharp, so I doubt she didn't just not-hear me. It'd be terribly out of character for her if she wasn't perfectly attentive at all times. Was she feeling all right?

I walk over, and put my hand on her shoulder. Her shoulders slump down, and my heart stops. Is she all right! "Aunt Azula!"

Then I hear her breathe, quiet yet steady.

She's asleep -- with her eyes open --why doesn't that surprise me, actually?

I shake her and she wakes with a start, "Oh, Kuzon, is something the matter?" she asks as if she simply entered a deep trance.

"Don't scare me like that!" I rasp through a suddenly dry throat. "You should get to bed. Ananya, would you please help my aunt to her room?"

"Sure, Kuzon!" Ananya, despite being tired, seems to leap at the chance to help. "Come on, Auntie Azula, let's get to bed."

"Thank you, dearie," she responds, taking Ananya's hand and rising to her feet. "Kuzon, don't dally yourself."

"I won't, Aunt Azula." I just want to thank our host first. I mean, after all the poor man's been through I can't imagine he's too happy to have this party on top of it. Not that I remember much of it. Just that there was a lot of food, and my stomach was already beginning to quarrel with me.

He waits until they're gone to speak, as if he's been expecting this all night. "You're a surprise, Prince Kuzon."

What does he mean? "Thank you?"

"I'm not sure if it's a compliment or not, honestly, but you're not what I expected. Takes a lot to fight with your chakra clogged so heavily." So he noticed that too? "And to fight for a bunch of pirates? Even more surprises."

I don't see why that's a problem. What's right is what's right, after all.

"Is it that simple?" he asks me, and shakes his head, "What's best isn't always what's right, Prince Kuzon. Sometimes what's right isn't what's needed. Life finds a way of compromising you no matter what happens. Think I planned on growing old in this place?"

I guess not, but I don't understand why he's saying this. "I know that as prince my personal whims sometimes come second to those of the Fire Nation," I say, "I've been prepared for that all my life."

"You haven't prepared for anything," he snaps, and shakes his head, "But you got the fire in you, all right. I've seen it on the enemy so long I forget that it isn't like that anymore."

I frown, "I'm sorry for what my great-grandfather did to your people."

"Don't. Just, don't," he says, "There's no apologizing for it anymore. It's done with and it's only old fools who cling to it. I became a pirate to be free. You know why?"

I shake my head, how would I know?

"I saw the Avatar once in my life. Right at the end of the war. Some sort of morale booster, once the Fire Nation surrendered he came around and thanked all of us personally. He was a kid, not much younger than you or your friend; she has the same look in her eyes now that I think about it. You only get that by being free from everything.

"Funny thing. Wanted that look, thought it would be nice to be truly free, so I spoke to my men and we agreed. Life has a funny way of working out, things happen before you know it, and you find yourself with a teenage son who's not so sure he wants all that freedom, and you find youself wondering what it's like to be tied down."

Adults have a tendency to make things overcomplicated, and this was a perfect example. If you ask me, he always thought the grass was greener on the other side, or whatever that Earth Kingdom expression was.

"I bet even the Avatar couldn't run from that," he continues, "When you're free, no one can tie you down. Th worst part is the loneliness, kid."

I don't get it at all. I think he sees that, and shakes his head, "Just a little too much of the rice wine, sorry. I guess you don't have to worry about freedom too much, but there's a lot it can do for you, too, don't get me wrong."

He hesitates for a minute, before speaking, his voice low, "I don't suppose an old man can ask the Prince of the Fire Nation a favor."

"We brought you a lot of trouble," I say, apprehensively, "I'm not about to refuse our host his request without at least hearing it first."

"Mm," he says, catching his words on his lips and jumbling them on his tongue before saying, "A princely answer. You've got a gift with words, boy."

I nod cordially.

"It's Sie. She wants to be free from this place, Tomorrow, take her with you."

I pause.

I really don't know how to respond to that. On one hand, I know Ananya would kill me if I said no outright, but on the other hand, I know Aunt Azula would kill me if I didn't at least consult her first. "Tomorrow, I'll give you my answer in the morning."

"'course," he says, looking a little dimmer. "She's never had friends her own age before. Not many kids in this town." Don't try and guilt me into this, old man! "She and her brother need people their own age."

Think that's sad? My only friends growing up were Daisuke and his sister, and I used to think she was a pest. I know what it's like, I just don't think it's such a good idea to go and bring her along. "This mission I'm on is not a safe one."

"She can take care of herself," he responds. "I can't protect her forever."

"She'll probably want her brother to come along, too," I say, "What about him?"

"Duo? Duo needs to get out of this hole in the ground more than Sie does," he says, which takes me off guard. "He may not act it, or think it, but the boy's sharp. He should be in Ba Sing Se, finding his own path." He shakes his head, "Both of them need to find it. You're the first chance they've got."

It wouldn't be the last, though. "I need to talk to my aunt."

He pauses, and nods. I think he finally understands. "Do that."

"For what it's worth," I add as I stand, "If it were up to me, I'd take them with me in an instant." And the scariest part is I think I really mean that.

* * *

When I fell into my room, things grew very hazy and I find myself wrapped up in the futon, basking in the heat of an early morning sun as it filters through the window, along with the chip of the birds. I don't think I want to move, actually. In fact, I could sleep here all day if no one came in.

So, I decide, I'll just stay here and let the day pass me by.

"Kuzon."

Oh, no, no, please don't wake me. Please, please don't shake me, leave me where I am. I'm sleeping!

"Ku! Zon!"

Ow! What's the big idea? My ears are still ringing. How am I going to get any sleep if she keeps yelling in my ear?

"Sie, he's not budging. Time for the waterbending."

That's a joke, right? I'll peek, just a little, and if I don't see Sie, then I'm going right back to sleep. Okay, everything looks clear. There's Ananya throwing a fit and yelling out the door, and there, just outside the door frame -- I can see a slipper that looks like it just could possibly be Sie.

I need to move to confirm, so I shift to my side, and tilt my head up. There, I have a clear view of the hallway. Unfortuantely, I also gave Sie a clear shot, as just as I see her, I feel the water collide against my head.

Ice cold, and with a few floating ice cubes in it, no less. Fantastic, like I'm going to get anymore sleep like this. Why me?

"Oh, he's definitely awake now!" Ananya cheered. I don't know what gave her that hint, my shouts about just how cold the water is, or the fact that I'd leapt out of that futon like it were sinking. Either way, she looks much happier, "Come on. We can't stay here all day. Wushon's a longer trip than Ming Xi, and they're waiting for us!"

"I know, I know." Kuzon, what have you got yourself into. I gather my things, and look for a change of clothes. I'm just hoping Sie managed to avoid splashing my bag. I'm surprised how accurate Grandfather's advice has been so far!

Well, time to get dressed and -- wait, why is my door still open? More importantly, why is Ananya just staring at me. "Can I help you with something?" I ask, bitingly.

She shakes her head, her eyes not moving from me, and a mischievous smile on her face, "It just looked like you were going to give a show."

"Get out of my room!"

"Yes, my liege!" Ananya says with a flourishing bow. "Come on, Sie, let's let Mr. Modesty get dressed."

Ananya is just confusing sometimes. I don't know what possessed those girls to come in and torment me at this early an hour. It couldn't be too late, could it? Aunt Azula would definitely not let me oversleep.

I groan. Unless, of course, she slept in. It's unusual for her, but she claims that it's her perogative as an old lady to sleep when and wherever she wants. I rub my temples to soothe the headache I can feel forming in the back of my brain and throw on some new, dry clothes.

I stretch out my arms and legs, doing my best to ease the stiffness of my neck. I must have slept funny, which happens with surprising frequency. Aside from the creak in my neck and the chill still running down my back from the freezing water, I feel awake and alert.

But I was going to get Sie back for that if it's the last thing I do.

I open the door and nearly collide with Aunt Azula. She moves with surprising deftness for someone who claims that she's too old for fighting. Old habits die hard, huh, Auntie? Oh well, I had something important to tell her, I think.

"Good morning, Nephew," she says before I can think of it. "In a hurry?"

"Of course I am," I answer. Like the girls would let me get away with staying in my room all day. I don't want round two of Sie's target practice to take place while I'm in my only spare set of clothes. "What about you, Aunt Azula?"

"Oh, this old biddy slept in, that's what happened," she says dismissively, "Oh dearie, what a mess, what a mess."

"Aunt Azula, why are you doing that?"

"Doing what?" she asks, as if she's not doing anything at all. "I haven't the foggiest what you mean, dearie." Please stop. "What's the matter, Kuzon? You can tell your auntie."

I slept harder than I thought. Last night seems to be a blur. All that food, it was revisiting me even now. It was something Kuhahn wanted me to do. Slowly, it's coming back to me, I'm sure of it. Something he wanted me to -- Sie!

"Aunt Azula, can we talk privately?"

She pauses, and nods. "We're alone now. You may speak freely."

"Kuhahn wants me to take Sie along," I say, "Duo, too, but I don't know if that's such a good idea. That Hiroshi guy is still out there, and we don't even know what he's after."

"And you think by inviting them along, you will put them at risk?" Aunt Azula thinks this over before nodding, "As I've come to expect of you, Kuzon, you see one half of the situation but not the other. Yes, danger comes as a matter of course when one travels," she shakes her head, "But nothing worth doing comes without risk."

"So you think we should take them with us?"

"No," she says, "I think we shouldn't decide for anyone. The only people who can decide wheter they should come or not are Sie and Duo."

"But if they want to come, you'd allow it?"

She laughs, "Kuzon, do not worry yourself over what I think. But for the record, I think it is good that you are finally making friends your own age."

I sigh. So that's that. I leave it up to Sie and Duo themselves. It seems simple in retrospect.

"Oh, one more thing," she says, resuming her senile smile, "Why is your hair all wet?"

* * *

I don't know where my focus is, but my mind wanders endlessly as we eat breakfast. Miss Ling brings us out a nice brunch, actually, and it seems like we'll probably have to camp overnight to make Wushon.

I don't mind, actually, and Sie in fact seems quite knowledgeable about where to get the equipment. "Not that the general store has any sleeping bags, but I know for a fact that you can get them from the supplier store. That's near the stables, actually."

I didn't pay much attention to them. Bringing this topic up was going to be difficult.

"Kuzon," Aunt Azula says, jolting me back to the conversation at hand.

"Yes, Aunt Azula?"

"Didn't you have something to speak to Sie about?"

She speaks up immediately when she's brought up, leaning forward, "What's up, Kuzon?"

You don't have to look so interested in what I have to say, Sie. "Well, yeah, I guess, but --"

"What?" Okay, personal space, Sie.

Duo pulls her back and bows his head apologetically. Poor guy, I can't imagine what it must be like having to grow up with a big sister like that. "Thanks," I say weakly, and then clear my throat. Okay, Kuzon, keep it simple and easy. Actually, trying to think of anything seems to be impossible right now. "Sie, uh --"

"Your style of waterbending is quite remarkable, Miss Lei Fang," Aunt Azula says from behind a cup of tea, "And I hear Mr. Lei Fang is also quite skilled as an Earthbender. Prince Kuzon has decided that you both meet the requirements to assist him in his quest to find the Avatar."

That sounds a lot better than what I was going to say, honestly.

:You want us?" Sie's void trails off as she processes what Aunt Azula says. She just keeps staring at me, as if it's up to me to confirm it.

I nod, slowly. It's almost like igniting blasting jelly, actually, you don't want to be too close when you set Sie off. "You hear that, Duo?" he doesn't look so enthused. "You're really sure? I mean, really?"

"Yes, I said," I can't believe she doesn't believe me.

Ananya's as excited as Sie is. She really makes friends easily, doesn't she? "This is going to be great!" she chirps, "Thank you so much, Kuzon!" You're welcome, Ananya? How do I react to that, anyway?

"Duo, come on!" Sie hops to her feet and heroically attempts to move her brother. "You're coming too, aren't you?"

He looks at her plaintively, and doesn't budge. Poor guy. "Duo doesn't have to come if he doesn't want to, Sie," I try and approach this diplomatically.

"Then I'm not going!" she says, sitting and crossing her arms.

How does that make it fair to anyone? I look at Duo, and just sigh. So it's both or nothing, and from the way Duo's frowning, it looks like something was about to give. It was just a matter of who would break first.

Sie looks crushed, and Duo looks conflicted, which leaves me feeling just plain awkward.

"Duo Lei Fang," Ling Lei Fang's voice, usually so syrupy and sweet, sounds surprisingly firm, "The Prince is offering you an opportunity and I for one won't let you simply throw it away without even considering it."

He speaks in his low, quiet voice, "But, mother --"

"Your grandfather and I can keep the inn running," she says, "And there'll always be a home here for you when you come back."

"Come on, Duo!" Ananya adds, pleading, "Please? Pretty please!"

He bows his head, "All right."

"Wonderful," Aunt Azula finally speaks, putting down her cup of tea, "I think you two should gather your things and meet us at the edge of town." She gives me a look and I nod. I guess it's best they say their goodbyes in private.

"We'll get our ostrich horses!" Ananya says, hopping to her feet. "Come on, Kuzon!" Oh, right, I almost entirely forgot about the waking nightmare of Shih-na.

This has the makings of a long day.

* * *

Yeung Village stood behind us as an ostrich-horse angrily shouted in my ear and the sun rose closer and closer to its apex. According to Ananya and my aunt, who left me with the three birds, all of whom were in a rare form, they needed to acquire us some camping supplies.

And since they left me with the birds, it left me trying to piece together my sanity.

"Shih-na, stop biting Ichiro!" I say, angrily, "And Chihiro, stop pecking at my clothes." Why couldn't we have left them at the stable until we'd bought the supplies, that's what I wanted to know.

I'm sure to the onlookers this was a riot. Prince of the Fire Nation and convenient valet for his aunt and whatever Ananya was. It's times like this when great-grandfather's strategy of burning this entire country-side to the ground seems to have been dismissed entirely too quickly.

"You need some help?" And I've attracted hecklers now. Fantastic!

"I'm fine," I grumble.

"That's too bad, I was going to help if you asked us nicely enough," I turn to see my tormentor. Of course it'd be Sie, looking smug about it no less. "Why do you look so surprised, Kuzon? You told us to meet you here."

"That was fast," I observe.

"Come on, let us help. I think they need to be separated." She takes Shih-na's reins before I can protest, and leads her aside. At least, that's obviously her intent. "Come on, what's the matter with you?"

"Sie, that's Shih-na -- you remember her right?"

"Huh? What are you talking about -- hey, watch it, you dumb bird-thing!" Shih-na takes no time to begin introducing herself painfully to Sie. I can't help but roll my eyes. "Hey! Hey! No nibbling!"

"I tried to warn you," I say, shaking my head. "Duo, I think your sister needs you."

He smiles weakly and nods. At least she got some comeuppance, even if she was trying to help in the end. Actually, karmically, I think everything's back in balance. Shih-na just earned herself a special treat.

It took about five minutes to calm Shih-na down and I took her reins to prevent any further incident. That left us standing around, each holding the reins of one of the ostrich-horses with plenty of time to watch the clouds.

"I think that one looks like a pirate ship."

Sie, everything looks like a pirate ship to you.

"What about you, bro?"

He shrugs. I can't blame him.

"Where are they, anyway?" Sie moans, "Hey, that one looks like a man walking the plank." Thankfully she's easily distracted, but I can't help but feel they're intentionally taking their time coming back. I hope Aunt Azula and Ananya didn't try and haggle.

"I can't wait to leave this place behind me and start my career as the most fearsome pirate to ever roam the seas!"

"There won't be any pirating on a royal Fire Nation vessel," I say. Did I think this was a good idea? You know, this is actually a very bad idea. Her pirate fantasies are getting out of hand and we haven't even left yet!

"Not even a little? I promise, it'll be more like privateering. You can take the booty fifty-fifty, half for me as a finder's fee, the rest to your treasury." Or, put another way, 'Hey Kuzon, wanna start another hundred-year war?'

"No stealing."

"You're no fun, Duo." She sighs, "So what's a prince doing searching for the Avatar, anyway? Is it some sort of special secret mission?"

"Not particularly. We're here to warn the Avatar about someone who threatened both the Fire Lord and the Great Chief."

"That's bad."

"Yeah, that's bad," I concur, lamely. "He thinks he's the Yata-Garasu."

"What's a Yata-Garasu?"

"A three-legged bird," Duo answers, "And messenger of the Heavens. It delivers the messages of the spirits to us. It's something of a guide."

"No kidding," Sie answers, stretching her hands behind her head, "So why'd someone think they're that thing?"

"No idea," I say, "But ever since he did something to me, my bending's been shot."

"Really?" Sie looks me over, "What'd he do?"

"I don't really remember that well," I answer, "Aunt Azula was there, maybe she has a better idea, but she hasn't said anything about it so I don't think it's important."

"So you're going to see the Avatar about that too, huh?" I guess, but it wasn't a priority. Especially after the Great Chief just vanished, but I don't think they need to know about that part of things yet. I barely managed to keep it under wraps after telling Ananya and Aunt Azula.

"We're going to Omashu, since Ananya thinks he's headed there."

"Good idea," Sie says, "The Mountain King will know for certain."

"If the Mountain King will even let us meet him," Duo says, quietly, "No one's been allowed into the palace, at all."

"Not even servants?"

"That's only what everyone's told me," Duo answers after a second. "I don't know for certain."

I agree with Sie, it's a bit weird if even servants are being turned away. There must be a reason. Could Hiroshi be targetting leaders of the four nations for some reason? What does he think we're guilty of if that's the case?

This is too strange.

"This is too cool!" Sie says, "A quest to save the world, along with a prince and an airbender. I feel like, like, Katara or something! Or Toph Bei Fong! Yeah, that's it!"

And Sie's off in fantasy land.

"So where does that leave you, Duo?"

I think Duo would look lovely with hair-loopies, actually. Not that I know what hair-loopies look like, but I'm sure he could pull it off.

"Where are they anyway?" I've been asking that question for the past hour, Sie, and I've got nothing to tell you. I look at Shih-na, who tilts her head and stares at me dead in the eye. Something tells me we understand each other a lot better now.

I look to the road and see them approaching, finally. Ananya is carrying a large bag across the ground while Aunt Azula walks leisurely besides. Ananya gives me a bright smile and a wave, which nearly causes her to drop the bag completely.

Duo, the helpful guy that he is, hurries over to help, carrying Chihiro behind him. He lifts up the bag with one hand and Ananya takes the reins from him. "Hey, what took you guys? We've been waiting forever!"

"We had to make sure that we got the right kind of sleeping bag," Ananya says, looking over at me mischievously, "His Highness needs the best." I do not need to be pampered!"

"No kidding. So, how's traveling with a prince? He order you around like servants all the time?"

"Not really," Ananya answers, "If anything, I do the ordering and he does the serving." That's blatantly untrue, too! Stop trying to impress your newest best friend, Ananya! It's making me look bad.

"Come along, children, we should get going. We have a lot of ground to cover and only a day or two to do it in." Aunt Azula, ever the voice of calm reasoning, takes the lead. Actually, considering who she is, that's kind of frightening.

"I can't wait to get to Wushon!" Ananya says, "The Shining Gateway of the Earth Kingdom itself!"

"It's kinda nice," Sie says, "I guess. If you're into that kind of thing. Lots of ships, not as much as Ming Xi, though."

"And of course the pirate is a fan of the ships," I mutter.

"Of course! As a mighty and fearsome pirate, I will one day command a fleet of pirates greater than even the Red Sails at their prime!"

"It's nice to have goals," Aunt Azula adds. Was that sarcasm I detected there, Auntie? You've still got it.

"Last time Grandpa took me there, they were building a station for a rail-engine or something," she says, trying to remember the details, "I wonder if they finished it."

"Never heard of a rail-engine before," Sie adds. Unsurprising that Sie knows nothing about anything, but still, I haven't heard much beyond the name, myself.

"Aunt Azula, do you know anything about that?" I ask.

"Rail-engine? Oh, yes, I had heard something about that. A regular at my shop mentioned it in passing. It's apparently similar to the tram systems back in Ba Sing Se, so they were consulting. A Fire Nation Zaibatsu contracted him."

Sie grimaces, looking over at me, "So, how many of those Zaibatsu things do you guys have?"

"A lot," I answer, "Maybe ten major zaibatsu total. Most of them aren't quite as --" Okay, how does someone put this delicately? -- "Aggressive as the Mizukaze."

"I wonder who they ran over to get that guy to work for them," she adds, anyway. I don't know. So, assume I've never been to Ba Sing Se."

"They're carts driven by Earthbenders along long tracks," Aunt Azula says, "The city is far too large for an old lady such as myself to travel by foot."

"So where is this one supposed to go, Auntie Azula?" Ananya seems fascinated by this, actually. It's kind of cute, in her weird way.

"Omashu, I hear," she answers. "Quite impressive."

"That must take like a ton of Earthbenders!" she gawks, looking like she's imagining the logistics. "That's like days and days of travel by foot."

"Actually," she says, "The engine carries the cars along without Earthbenders pushing it forward. How it does that, I do not know."

"That sounds so cool! Kuzon, can we ride on it? Can we?"

"We don't even know if the thing's ready yet, Ananya!" Does she ever think things through? This is a recurring theme, and I don't like how it plays out. Ananya says something, I correct her, she ignores me and continues on anyway. And starting that last part right about now.

"Well, we should ride it, right, Sie?"

"Could be fun. Come on, Kuzon, don't be such a stick in the mud."

Duo, please tell me you feel my pain. Please! And he just shrugs in my direction with a sympathetic smile. That makes it a little better actually. It's just nice to have someone understand.

* * *

Walking on foot makes traveling take all that much longer, but the ostrich horses have enough to carry around with our supplies, and carrying the five of us on three birds just seems to be a recipe for disaster.

Shih-na doesn't seem to mind having me do my own work. By the way she seems to be smirking I think she quite approves of it, actually. I don't know how to describe an ostrich horse smirking, but that's almost definitely what she's doing.

The sun set hours ago, and the city is nowhere in sight. Whereas Ming Xi could be described as an industrial city of the modern style, Wushon is probably better described as its commercial sister city.

Whereas the broad natural harbor of Ming Xi hosts the ships being built by the Mizukaze Zaibatsu, the port of Wushon welcomes Water Tribe, Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom trade into its city with open arms.

Not that I've ever seen it, but the stories I've heard make it seem almost like it's made of silver, shining brightly even under the moonlight. How do I know this? Because I've listened to Ananya talk about it all day long and she's still not any closer to stopping than when she started.

I'm serious. When she puts her mind to it, she can talk.

"-- also! The city has every kind of food you can imagine. I once had this big, green fruit thing --"

"That's not that impressive," Sie has for the most part been the facilitator for our lovely chatterbox to continue enchanting us all with stories of the magical city of Wushon.

"You crack it open and there's all this water and red stuff and it's huge! Like, bigger than my head, no lie."

I don't know, Ananya, your head's pretty big.

"What do they call it?"

"They call it a water-melon. Whatever that is."

Fascinating.

"And this one place, it makes this cream --"

"Look, can we actually sit down and eat instead of listening to her talk about food? Kuzon, make her stop!" Sie expects me to provide us a miracle every once in a while and I in my unlimited wisdom do my best to produce one on occasion.

"Perhaps we should make camp," I say. "It's late, and we're not going to get anywhere by tiring out the ostrich horses and Ananya's mouth."

"Hear-hear!" Sie cheers.

"Hey!"

"Camping now may be a good idea, actually," Aunt Azula says. "There is a clearing nearby, off the main road. We have made good time today, actually, considering our late start."

So, we set up camp. A task made a lot easier with the addition of two additonal sets of hands. Sie and Duo volunteer to gather the firewood, so I take the time to sit down and try and gather some measure of focus.

"Kuzon!"

Oh, there's Ananya. She seems to be angry.

"Yes?"

"What's the big idea? Do I complain about you and your not-talking all the time?"

What does that even mean?

"And you're embarrassing me in front of Sie." What do you care if you're embarrassed or not? It never seems to bother you when you get embarrassed in front of me. "There you go again, just looking at me like I'm crazy."

"You are crazy."

"What's that supposed to mean!"

"Sie doesn't care. I think she likes you well enough without you trying to show off how much you know about wherever we're going." I sigh.

"But --"

"I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings," I mutter. Not that I'm really sorry about that. She needs someone to keep her ego in check, if you ask me.

"Well, okay."

"Apology accepted?"

"Yeah, accepted." That's good. Apparently Ananya holds a grudge like a wet fish. Good to know. I stretch out my arms and look at the starry skies. "Pretty, aren't they?"

"I suppose you have some Avatar-taught insight into the nature of the heavens?"

"It's big. Really big." She smiles, "Grandpa says it's kind of like, uh, look at those antlions." She points at something I assume to be an antlion. "You can barely tell that they're a fierce and community driven little bug from all the way up here, can you?"

"Never even heard of an antlion."

"You got to get out more."

"We just have fire ants in the Fire Nation."

"Same difference," she says, "The importance is the size."

"So to the cosmos we're just little antlions?"

She shakes her head. "We are the little bitty grains of dirt that live on a tiny little antlion. That's how big it all is."

"Makes it sound like we're kind of unimportant in the scheme of things?"

"Does, doesn't it?" she adds. "But Grandpa says that's not the case, in fact, it's why we're even more important. Every single one of us may be very small on our own, but we're never really alone, are we?"

She looks distantly at the stars, and sighs.

"I guess not," I add, weakly.

"Do you think your grandfather did something big enough to anger the heavens?" she asks. "The Spirit World is just as vast as this world, maybe even larger, there are lots of people and lots of spirits and what that man said --"

"That man's crazy, Ananya."

"I don't know, Kuzon. I've been thinking about it a lot and --"

"And what?"

"I can't think of why he'd do anything to you." She stares at me for a while. "Um, that's just what I understand. You're too nice, and kind of dumb actually. Really dumb. I mean what are you thinking half the time?"

Right now? How you totally ruined that moment. I thought we were actually getting to like each other just a bit there, and then you go and call me dumb? Better to be silent, Ananya, better to be silent.

"Better find Sie and Duo. They're taking forever with that fire wood. Um, going!"

That was awkward. I just watch her leave, unable to think of anything to say. What is up with her? She's been acting strange around me ever since we got to Ming Xi. Not that it's that different than how she normally behaves, but still.

I push myself off the ground and my fingers find something paper that fell to the ground.

I pick it up and look at it. In the low light all I can tell is it's an open envelope. I can barely make out the name, but it seems to be addressed to -- I need to squint to make it out, but I'm certain now that it's made out to me.

Did Ananya have this?

Before I can compose my thoughts on this -- none of them currently very pleasant -- a loud noise in the distance distracts me. I lift my eyes and see a bright light in the distance traveling across two mountain tops.

The noise almost sounds like the Western Dragon's engine, and it's punctuated by a loud whistle. A stream of smoke funnels into the starry sky after it, wafting like a dark cloud over everything. An engine -- driven on rails?

Could that be the rail engine everyone was talking about?

We really were making good time if that's the case. "We're back!" Sie calls, "You guys hear that racket?"

"Yeah," I answer. "Where's Ananya?"

"She wanted to explore some more," Sie answers, helping Auntie and Duo with the fire, "So she said she'd be back in like ten minutes. Looked like she lost something if you ask me."

No kidding. The fire sparks to life with a wave of Aunt Azula's hands and I can finally make out the writing much more clearly. It's addressed to 'My Dearest Kuzon' and I quickly look at the signature at the end.

"Nadesico," I murmur the name softly.

"What's that? Letter from your other girlfriend?" Sie jokes. I nod slowly, since it's mostly the case. "Oh! Let me see!"

"Hey! This is private!" I shout.

"Oh, don't be such a baby. I won't laugh too hard. What's her name? Is she pretty? I bet she's totally a girly girl. I bet you like the type. Probably says things like 'horrid' and 'dreadful'."

"Do you mind?"

"Not at all, do you?" Obviously I do!

I read over the letter quickly. She sent it shortly after I left, and she hoped it would reach me in the South Pole, which obviously never happened. I guess they sent it along to Ming Xi to catch up to me.

It's a personal letter, telling me about how things are going in the palace. She's 'overwhelmed' by my parents attempts to make her feel part of the family already, and it sounds like Mom's taken a real shine to her.

The Twins are still the same pain in the butt they ever are, teasing Nadesico relentlessly about the whole fiasco at my birthday party. It's so weird to think we would have been engaged then and there thanks to my Dad's brilliant idea to rush us both into it.

Not that I mind, but it's still kind of poor form.

Most of all, she writes, is how much she misses me. She's surprised by it, according to the letter, because of how little time we've spent together of late. I miss her terribly as well, and I wish I could see her right now.

I miss home, as well, and Mom, Dad, Grandfather, Grandmother, Uncle Lu Ten -- I even miss the Twins! The idea that this place is only as big as an antlion doesn't offer much solace when everyone you've known is so far away.

"Hey, Kuzon."

I guess this is what they mean by homesickness.

"Kuzon!"

I know I can't go home until this task is finished, but I didn't think it would take so long. It just isn't fair -- "What!" Sie drags me to my feet.

"You're getting mopey."

And this gives you the right to just carry me around like a ragdoll how?

"Ananya's still not back. I'm getting worried," she says.

"Ananya's fine."

Sie looks at me, and probably detects that my tone's just a little icier than usual. Not that I think I was subtle about it at all. "Did I miss something? You two have a little tiff?"

"None of your business, Sie."

"No reason to be rude," she huffs. "I think we should look for her."

"Go ahead," I say. I could care less where Ananya's gone to at this point, but if it makes Sie happy, she can do whatever she wants. I return her icy glare with one of my own, and look back at the letter.

"Fine. We'll go find her then. Come on, Duo."

When they leave, Aunt Azula finally speaks up. "I see you finally received your letter."

"You knew?" I can't believe my own aunt would keep this from me.

"Of course I knew. Only a complete fool would miss the way she's been anxious around you since Ming Xi. I am surprised you did not press her on it sooner." I look up at her and shake my head. "If it's any consolation, she did not look at it out of any malice. She was merely curious about what sort of girl you fancied."

"I told her about Nadesico already."

"And that is only part of the story," she answers, "To be fair, Kuzon, you descibe her in ways idealized by young love. It is romantic, I'm sure, but it isn't realistic." How does she know, she barely knows Nadesico?

She laughs, "I see you're in a huff. But give Ananya a chance."

"Aunt Azula, how can you say that?"

"Because I think you'll find that Ananya has had quite a positive effect on you," she says, "And you'll find it harder to stay angry with her once she finds her way back here. She feels dreadfully guilty about it, you know."

That doesn't help. If she's so sorry about it, why did she do it in the first place?

"I fear where you overthink every step, she thinks far too little about them. Here," she hands me a cup of tea, fresh poured, "We all have our moments when we act without thought of the repercussions. Your little stunt at your birthday party was not one of your finer moments, wouldn't you say?"

"Okay, maybe not," I acquiese. However, that was different. My grandfather was being threatened! How can you compare that to reading someone else's mail?

"She's a very lonely girl, you know."

Ananya?

"She may act quite friendly on the outside, but when you get to my age you pick up a few things about people. Even if she acts as though she is everyone's friend, I do not think she has received the benefit of everyone reciprocating. Life with the Avatar is also quite a solitary one, atop that very large hill."

I don't think that excuses this, but -- why do I have to keep thinking about how sad she looks sometimes? It bugs me more than I like to admit. "I'll try and be civil."

"That's better. Go find Sie and Duo, they are looking in entirely the wrong spot."

You know, you could have told them that, right, Auntie? I guess I don't have a choice. I walk in the direction Sie and Duo went in, approaching the main road and seeing them frantically looking in the low light.

"Ananya!"

"She's not here," I mutter. "Come on."

"How do you know that?" Sie asks, crossing her arms. I appear to have made her mad. Wonderful. This night can't get any better.

"Aunt Azula told me."

"The old bag was holding out on us? Figures!"

Duo doesn't seem happy with Sie's choice of words, but he looks relieved to finally be able to stand up. I don't know why he was looking on the ground for Ananya, but I somehow imagine it's Sie's fault.

"So, why are you so moody all of a sudden, anyway?" she asks as we walk back. I don't know, Sie, maybe it could be that my friend all of a sudden reveals that she's readnig my mail and then pulls a vanishing act.

I don't see how any of that could possibly make me 'moody.' What do you think?

"What's with that look?"

"Nothing."

"It's not nothing. You're acting like a total jerk about this. What happened? It was totally a lovers' tiff, wasn't it?" Sie cuts to the heart of the matter. I knew this was going to come up the second she started asking me about this and I didn't stop her.

So really, I can only blame myself.

She keeps prodding me to answer, but I don't. We're near enough to the camp that it only takes us a few minutes, and when we arrive, Ananya and Aunt Azula are waiting for us. Ananya looks like she just got caught stealing -- the little thief -- and Aunt Azula begins pouring us all cups of tea. "There, now we're all back together and ready to eat."

"They're not much," Duo says when he hands out the food, "But with what I had time for I made due."

"You kidding? I love these things!" Sie goes at them like crazy. They look almost like sushi, actually, but the fillings look different.

"What are they?" I ask.

"Kimbap. Try some." Duo smiles and I take a bite. They're actually really good! I am already glad we have Duo along with us.

Ananya doesn't seem to be so into her food. "I think I'll just get to bed, if that's all the same, Duo."

"Ananya, you should eat," Aunt Azula scolds, "We are only a few hours away from Wushon, and I think we would do best to push ourselves there as early as possible."

She takes a bite of one half-heartedly and sulks. Serves her right, if you ask me. Sie devours hers without even pausing. I'm really wondering how that girl stays so skinny, since she's going after Duo's now.

"Kuzon?"

I look over. Ananya shrinks when I look at her. "What is it."

"Are you mad?"

I don't think I even need to answer.

"I'm done eating now, Auntie Azula. I'm going to get some sleep. Good night." She drags her sleeping bag out a way where the area is clearest, and lays down, turning her back on the campfire.

"That was awkward," Sie observes. "Well, I'm stuffed now. I think sleep sounds good."

"A wise decision," Aunt Azula observes. "We should all get some rest."

"Go ahead," I say, "I'm going to stay up just a little later."

"All right," Sie says, "Night everyone."

While everyone else settles in to sleep, I instead turn and look at the stars, taking in the warmth of the slowly dying fire. I watch them move slowly in the night sky and wonder just how small they really are.

* * *

I wake to the find Duo shaking me awake gently. "Good morning," he says after he notices I'm awake. "The girls are getting the ostrich horses."

And they left it up to Duo to make sure I got up? I don't know why they'd miss an opportunity to terrify me again.

"I wouldn't worry about it."

I nod at Duo, who just shrugs back at me. I stretch out my arms and look around. The ostrich horses are being fed and Duo returns to his job of putting the packs back on their backs. Sie looks in my direction with a shrug.

Ananya doesn't even look at me. Fine by me. I don't think I even want to look at her.

Aunt Azula may think I overthink things, but sometimes I don't even know where to begin. Ananya and I need to have a long conversation about this, and I need to be certain that Aunt Azula isn't just covering for her.

Then, well, then I can decide how to deal with this.

See, that's entirely reasonable. I do not overthink things.

"Are you coming or not!" Sie shouts over at me, and I realize I've been standing around not doing much. Aunt Azula mounts atop Chihiro, and smiles at us. "Hey, how come you get to ride?"

"Because I am old."

Sie stands considering this for a minute, before finally pointing her finger at my aunt, and waving it around impotently, "You win this round, old lady."

"We'll be in Wushon soon, won't we?" Ananya asks. She looks at me, but when she catches me looking at her, she looks away. I don't know whether to say something or just let it be. Someone give me a sign on this.

Why am I even feeling guilty about this? She's the one who -- I can't stand this.

"We will."

"Can't wait! I got to see this ship of yours, Kuzon!"

I find myself watching Ananya more that she's not talking all the time. It's kind of odd to see her so quiet. She usually looks pretty small but right now she seems absolutely tiny. Maybe I should say something. This awkwardness is going to get to me by the time we reach Wushon at this rate.

But what do I say to her.

"We should get going," I think my aunt says, "Kuzon, do get your mind focused on the task at hand."

What is she talking about? I am focused! I am -- oh, great, I've been standing gawking around for the past minute haven't I? I'm glad no one pointed that out until now. Even Ananya's looking at me like I'm some kind of weirdo.

I need to stop everyone from staring. "Let's just get moving."

Thankfully they seem to listen. We're on our way pretty quickly and everyone goes back to their own business. Still, it's early, and everyone's still waking up. Even Ananya, in her uncharacteristic silence, yawns from time to time.

Now it's starting to really gnaw at me.

Ananya should not be this quiet. Sie's talking to Duo about -- well, something I can't quite understand. Seems like they're talking about home, I guess. Aunt Azula is pointedly ignoring everyone I think.

Which leaves me, unsurprisingly, alone in a crowd.

Sometimes my days just don't start any worse than this.

Hours pass slowly when you have no one to talk to, but we finally approach Wushon just as it's about noon. The silver city shines under the bright sunlight, and the smell of the ocean wafts pleasantly enough through the whole town.

"We're finally here!" Sie cheers.

"It's beautiful," I say. "You were right, Ananya." The girl tenses audibly -- which sounds about as painful as it could.

"Oh, yeah," she says, quietly. "It's really beautiful."

"Let's just get to the ship."

"We going to take that rail engine to Omashu or not, Kuzon?" Sie asks me, which just annoys me more. I don't have time for stupid questions like that. I've got to make sure I actually get Nadesico's reply to my other letter.

"You mean it's finished?" Ananya's voice perks up and I look abck at her.

"I saw it last night," I say, coldly. "If you didn't disappear all of a sudden, you would have too."

"You did? Really?"

"Now, now, Kuzon, there's no call to be rude."

"Sorry, Auntie," I say, quietly, even if I don't mean it. If Ananya thinks I'm just going to ignore what she did, she's got another thing coming.

"I want to see the station. What about you, Sie?"

"Why not," she shrugs, "Duo, you want to check this out? Good. Kuzon, come on, you too."

"I need to check on the ship," I answer, curtly, "If we decide to use the rail engine, maybe I'll see it then." I sigh, "Until then, stay out of trouble."

Why I even said that, I don't know. I know, watching them hurry towards the northern edge of town, that they're not going to listen to me. I look over at my aunt, who just shakes her head, "You are reacting poorly to this, Kuzon."

"How else am I supposed to react?"

She sighs, "Perhaps someone with a little sense."

"We need to check in on the crew, anyway," I mutter.

"Perhaps," she responds, frowning, "But it isn't any excuse."

The bay of Wushon is clear and blue, and a dark cloud wafts down from the northern sky, filling the sky with smoke and steam as a loud piercing whistle fills the air. The birds in flight scatter at the noise.

_To be continued._

_Author's Note: Apologies on the delay of this chapter. It took a monstrous amount of work to get started and even now, maybe not my favorite chapter considering I had to stuff it iwth transitory things, but at least the conflict is set for the Journey to Omashu arc. Hopefully next week will see another new chapter._


	10. The Revolutionary

_**Spirits Like White Lightning**_

_By Iain R. Lewis_

_Disclaimer: Avatar belongs to Nickelodeon. Kuzon, Ananya, and any other new characters belong to me._

**Chapter 10: **_The Revolutionary_

The view of the rail engine from the ship is actually spectacular. I can't believe how close the captain managed to dock to the rail that extends out into the harbor. A variety of containers on the tracks made of dark, tempered iron were filled with coal. "I wonder if it really is as fast as they say?" I ask no one in particular.

That's probably because I decided to let everyone else go explore the city while I take care of the proper duties of a visiting prince to his attending crew. That's to say, I went aboard, said hello to the captain, who told me everything was going fine and, well, I guess it's a bit disappointing to say that there's no and to that. That's pretty much my role. I could have had Aunt Azula do that for me! She practically said she'd do it afterwards - why didn't I?

Oh, right, Nadesico's letter.

This scrap of paper's caused me more ire than it has any right to. It's a simple letter from a worried future-fiancee, filled with heartfelt sentiment, and it was sent a while after I set off for the South Pole. Unfortunately, Ananya decided to intercept it.

Which brings me to Ananya.

And that brings me a headache. I don't really want to deal with her right now. She's nothing but trouble, getting our noses in business we don't have any right to get into. I can't just go around imprisoning every corrupt politician I find in the Earth Kingdom - first off, I don't exactly have the time and I don't think we have the space for them, and secondly, well, it's not very diplomatic - but the second she gets a sense something's wrong, she hops to the rescue like - well, like her grandfather.

This is why I have a headache!

I can't trust her, and yet she keeps dragging me into all of these things. Did I ask to be bait for that raven-tattooed freak? No. Did I want to take her along? No. Did I want to go stop pirates along Dragon Fang Ridge? Third verse, same as the first.

Which brings up even more questions, like how I even agreed to let those pirates tag along! I think she's starting to affect my judgment!

But the bigger question is why I'm trying to sort through all of this. I've got my ink and brush and the paper for writing on, and I'm not even sure what to say. How did I even write to her the first time? I write like I'm putting down my itinerary. I'm just terrible at it!

Do I tell her about the pirates? Do girls like pirates? Other than Sie, I mean.

Maybe I should complain about Ananya? No, Ananya said girls hate it when you talk about other girls like that - why is it she can put things down to paper so easy, anyway? It's just not fair. I'm just going to sit here and search for inspiration from the vast and beautiful seas.

Or the busy city of Wushon over behind me. There really are a lot of people here. I mean, the capital's busy, but I rarely ever got to see outside the royal district and the people aren't quite as thick as to sort of blend into one being.

Weirder still is how one person can sort of stand out in a crowd. "Prince Kuzon." I draw myself upright at the sound of my name. It's one of the crew. He seems to be in a bit of a fluster. "There's someone suspicious."

I cast my glance back at the streets and that person is gone. "What do you mean?"

"Well, since before you came, there'd been a girl who just hung around the ship. We didn't think anything by it at first, but she's been appearing with increasing frequency." I look at him, perhaps my perplexion being evident on my face. "Every hour, sir."

"Every hour?"

"On the hour."

Okay, that's definitely suspicious. "So, what does she look like?" I ask, expecting the answer. Long brown hair, falling over her eyes, tall and a bit gawkish, with a dreamy smile on her face like someone sleepwalking. "That's what I thought," I answer when he finishes.

"She always disappears before we can question her, though."

Yeah, she just vanished. How can someone stand out in that mob of people out there and then suddenly vanish into it? That's kind of scary, actually. Not that I could hope to find her. Still, an excuse is an excuse, and the less Aunt Azula gets to say, 'I told you so,' the better in my book.

"I'll find out what's going on."

"As you say, your highness."

So, I hurry and disembark the ship, leaving the ink and paper where they lie, and step out onto the dock. The bustle makes it hard to get my footing, but I take a step towards where I saw the girl, a small way off the pier, and look around. A view of the ship? No, you can't really see anything of interest. The hull's black and kind of threatening, but otherwise there's nothing to see. I turn my head towards the rail in the distance.

It's not a perfect spot, but it's not bad for seeing the people loading the rail carts with boxes and crates. I guess they use the rail engine to transport goods as well as people. Still, why would anyone want to watch people loading boxes into a big metal box on wheels?

There was definitely something suspicious about this girl. Was she really that interested in the rail engine?

I can't believe I actually have a lead! Maybe I could become a detective in my spare time. My sudden interest in investigating the rail station has absolutely nothing to do with my friends heading in that direction, incidentally. I don't even know why I mention it, it's not like anyone could even think that's the reason.

I rush through the city fueled by this desire to investigate (and nothing else!), even though it doesn't take long to realize that navigating Wushon is something akin to paddling upstream without paddles.

It's even harder when you find yourself caught in the middle of an escapade in the middle of the streets. I don't imagine, for example, that you find a melon vendor with his goods strewn and broken along the street, his stall in shambles, and a girl running as fast as she can away from the scene as the vendor shouts after her.

I also don't imagine that it's often that a passerby recognizes the girl, or is left wondering why all of a sudden a pirate is escaping from a watermelon vendor while a series of guards chase angrily after her in a strange dance line through the city.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is I don't know why this happens to me. I know who that was! Sie Lei Fang, self-proclaimed pirate, was on the run from guards coming from the rail station. What is with this rail station that everyone seems so interested in, anyway?

And why do my feet seem compelled to follow after her? I look suspicious enough, what am I going to do if they arrest me, claim diplomatic immunity? This is beginning to become a series of incredibly stupid mistakes on my part.

I don't even know where she's going and I can't see her face in the crowd of people.

It's a busy day in Wushon, and all the noise seems to fall short of the smell of fish. Seems like all sorts of fish come through here, and of all sizes. I see boxes full of live pygmy crabs, skittering about, and some large fish I've never even seen before being carried down the street. I can't even figure where Sie could have gotten to, and I stumble about, hoping for a hint. Maybe she'd lost the guards in the confusion.

"Sorry," a voice said quietly as they bumped into me. Trying to get my balance, I barely caught a glimpse of the red handkerchief in her hair.

"Sie! Wait!"

But she was already gone into the street.

"There she is!" The crowds parted as the clink of the guards' arms grew louder, moving after Sie, pushing me aside like I was just some innocent bystander. I suppose that's all I am in this incident. I can't tell if I'm relieved or disappointed.

"Go around, cut her off," I heard one of the guards say to the rear, who veered down another street. Things definitely weren't looking good for Sie. I couldn't exactly follow them, but keeping my distance, I think I can keep out of sight while I trail them. The crowds make it altogether too easy. No one pays attention to me, and whenever a guard turns to look at me, I seem just like a normal tourist in the silver city of Wushon.

"Let go!"

I can hear Sie protest.

"Little thief, where is it?" one of the guards questions, roughly.

"Relax, maybe this is all a big misunderstanding," another interjects, "That's right, isn't it, Miss?"

"Good guard, bad guard? Really?" she says, not making her case any better. "Look, you've got the wrong girl. I don't know why you're picking on me!"

"See, all a big misunderstanding. If you'll let us search you, we'll clear this whole thing up. Yuri, would you pat her down?" the guard says, and I see a woman in uniform approach the alleyway. I sneak a bit closer and see her quickly search Sie for a sign of something.

"Clean," the woman says, and they release her, roughly. The rude guard is the first to speak up.

"She could have passed it off to someone on the way." He really doesn't sound convinced, and I start to squirm. Funny how Sie bumped into me when I was following her. Could she have - wait, when did I get this piece of paper?

I open it up. It's a list, a very long and complicated list filled with shorthand and some terrible handwriting. I mean, I can't even read half the list, it's that incomprehensible. What could it all be? It almost looks like a ship's manifest, and what I can make out would fit right aboard a cargo vessel.

Great, she made me an accomplice after all. Maybe I should make a quick getaway before I end up in big trouble.

"Officers! I'm glad I found you."

And someone seems to have cut in as I slowly edge back into the crowds. He's young, with a square jaw and a confident posture about himself. To say he drew your attention in would be like saying the ocean is deep. From the way he dresses, green cap with matching jacket, which he left unbuttoned, to the way he stands, he just seizes attention.

"I found this piece of paper. Some girl with a red handkerchief dropped it. She was in an awful hurry.

"I told you it wasn't me!" Sie protests. "I am not a thief!"

The guards look over the paper quickly, and then turn to the young man, "Thank you for returning this, sir. The Mountain King owes you a debt of gratitude."

"Think nothing of it. Just a young man's civic duty, after all." The guards file out and I edge back towards the alley. Sie relaxes visibly after she's sure they're clear, and the young man begins to applaud, "Bravo! Absolutely brilliant. I stand corrected, you are indeed a mighty pirate."

"Well, of course," she answers, her cheeks tinging pink. "I mean, it was just a scrap of paper."

"What did become of the real manifest, by the by?"

"Oh, I slipped it on my friend's belt when I bumped into him. I was so relieved to see him, like you wouldn't believe."

"This friend of yours," he says, "He wouldn't happen to be peering in at us from the edge of the alley, would he?"

How did he see me! With no point in hiding, I sidle into the alley, "Sie, what's going on?"

"Miss Lei Fang is winning a wager, actually," the boy says, "I bet her she could not take the paper from the Rail's offices, and she proves me wrong with a brilliant bit of quick thinking. Absolutely phenomonal."

"You're making me blush, Lang."

"Might I see the paper you have, friend?" Lang says to me, approaching. I don't even know why I have it, so I just shove it over at him. "Thank you." He doesn't bat an eye, just keeping composed and polite, and looks over the sheet. "An almost perfect replica. Little Wing is a lady of so many talents."

What is this guy up to?

"So, Lang," Sie says, awkwardly, "What do I win?"

"My eternal gratitude isn't enough?" He laughs after a moment has passed, though I could swear Sie would have said yes if he let her. "No, I do owe you something. How about we go and discuss that somewhere more comfortable. This city stinks of fish this time of day, and frankly, I could use a drink."

He ducks further into the alley, and bids us follow him. "Come on, Kuzon, don't embarrass me here!" What am I going to do to embarrass you anymore than you're doing for yourself, Sie? She's acting so strange.

"So, Lang!" Sie says, as she follows after him quickly, leaving me walking by myself, feeling about as awkward as I could. And believe me, I've had to sit through the twins' shamisen recitals, so I'm very familiar with awkwardness. "What did you need that paper for?"

"Oh, it wasn't the paper I needed," he answers, calmly, "Don't worry about it. You did perfect, that's all that matters."

"Well, if you say so!"

What? Sie, if your face got anymore goofy, I'd think you switched places with Ananya while I wasn't looking. Speaking of Ananya, where is she and Duo? "Sie, where did the others go to?" I ask.

I am summarily ignored for the better looking jerk in front of me. Oh, of all the times to remember I can't firebend.

"What's this place we're going to?"

"Oh, just a place for us poor academy bums set up for our vacation. We rented it in Wushon since we thought it'd be great to go, maybe get in some fishing. Like we're ever going to get out to the sea with all of those ships clogging the harbor, right?"

"Right. You know, I always wanted my own ship," she says, and brightens as she excitedly continues, "Actually, Kuzon has one."

"I don't really, I'm just borrowing it."

"You don't say. Must have been hard getting a pier open this time of year," he answered, looking me over. "Wonder how many favors your ship had to call in for it."

"Well," Sie says, causing me to glower at her. I just know what she's going to say, and I don't want her to say anything about it. "That's because Kuzon's -"

She finally catches my eyes and stumbles for an answer.

"From the Fire Nation, obviously. They got clout there." She lamely finishes.

"Oh, fire child, huh?" Lang says, looking over at me. "Interesting. Kuzon's a pretty popular name, after the war and all. Hear even one of the Fire Nation's princes got the name."

"You don't say," I lamely finish. That's because I popularized it! It's right up there with Lee for most popular baby names since I was born. At least, so the royal records say. Not that I check them or anything for that sort of information.

Well, often, anyway. That's not important right now. What is important is that thanks to Sie, he's on to me and he's so subtly letting me know. I really hate this guy.

"So, we're going to take a look at it after this, before we get on our way to Omashu."

"You're going to Omashu?" he says, brightening, "Then I've got just the thing to repay you for your help today, Miss Lei Fang."

"Call me Sie."

"Sure," he says with a smirk. I fight the urge to punch him. I imagine the feeling of wiping that smirk off his face would be satisfying.

I regret fighting that urge almost immediately.

He approaches a door in the alley and knocks on it in a strange, deliberate rhythm. After a minute, I hear a metal latch move and someone peeks out through a covered hole. "The dragon only dreams what the wolf lives," he says, mysteriously, hidden behind the door.

"But the dragon and the wolf are brothers, they have no secrets," he says, and laughs, "Come on, Ron, just open up. I've got a couple of special guests."

The boy on the other end sighs, and opens the door, muttering, "Don't know why we use passwords if you're just going to ignore them."

"Oh, you take this way too seriously, Ron, chin up." He nods to me and Sie, "Ron, this is Sie Lei Fang, our hero of the hour, and her friend, Kuzon." He puts his arm around Ron and slaps his shoulder hard. I can see the slender boy shudder from the impact, and his spectacles slide down the bridge of his nose, "This is Shin Yu Ron, my good friend and partner in crime."

"Pleasure to meet you," he says, politely, but there's an edge to his voice that makes it clear we're not exactly welcome here.

"Come in. Ron, if you hear from Little Wing, let me know as soon as possible, we need to make sure those items of ours get there in time."

"You got it, boss," Ron says as he steps aside to let us pass. It's like we don't even exist to this guy. Just great.

I'm already getting a bit claustrophobic in the narrow hole in a wall. There's a bar off to the side, and there's the sound of haiku poetry being recited over in a small alcove behind a partition. The voice of the girl speaking seems distant and dreamlike, almost like she's in the haze of just waking.

"We come here to discuss our studies while getting away from the faculty of the academies. Kasumi there is studying at the new woman's college in Omashu, actually. A very progressive city, Omashu," he says with a little edge to his voice. "Not exactly the height of learning, but it's a start."

"Are you from Omashu?" she says, and I can already see her thinking about making arrangements to go to the woman's college there.

"No. Ba Sing Se, actually," he answers. And there stops all of those plans. Sie's about as easy to read as a big picture book. "The Earth King himself dutifully pays for my tuition at his academy of higher learning. Bureaucracies require training after all."

"Not a fan of paperwork?" I ask, a wry smile coming to my lips. I can imagine how boring that can be.

"Picked up on that, huh?" he asks, taking a seat at the bar. "Well, let me get us something to drink and we can talk more about politics. I'm sure you've got a keen eye for that sort of thing. You're, what, sixteen?"

I decline the drink, and say that I am.

"You'll be finishing up at the Fire Nation Academy soon, I bet," he says, "Are you considering studying abroad afterwards?"

I hadn't really put my mind to what I was going to do with myself after this. I'm a man, after all, and I have responsibilities to my family.

As prince, I don't know if that affords me time to pursue further studies.

"Well, Ba Sing Se may look attractive, but really, it's a lot of ink spilled over nothing. Fill out a form to make a requisition for a form to bring forward legislation to the Earth King's advisors, and if they approve that form, be prepared to fill out about ten forms before the Earth King even sees it."

"That sounds ridiculous," Sie laughs.

"But true," he smiles ever so charmingly, and I cringe ever so obviously. This guy's laying it on thick. He knows Sie'll eat it right up. "So I told you I'd help you get to Omashu, and I'm a man of my word. I just happen to have connections inside the rail company. Just say how many tickets you need, and you'll have them by tomorrow morning."

"Really?"

I'm going to be sick.

"I'll make the arrangements now. How many of you are there?" he asks.

"Well, there's Kuzon, myself, Kuzon's girlfriend -" Hey! "Oh, right," she whispers something thinking I can't hear her, but I can tell just what she's saying by the way she's grinning, "And my brother, and is your aunt coming?"

"I think so," I answer, uncertainty about how we'd proceed after Omashu having me err on the side of caution. Free tickets to the rail engine. It almost seemed too convenient, but for the moment, I let that suspicion pass.

"I'll be right back, then," Lang says, rising from his seat. Finally, an opportunity to - oh she's just gawking at him as he walks by. I don't even want to know what she's looking at now.

"Sie. Pay attention to me now."

"Huh? Kuzon? Did you say something?" Did I? I think I said quite a few things but you were pretty much tuned into only one frequency.

"Nothing important," I say, giving her a wry smile. She doesn't even have a clue how infuriating this whole day is turning out to be because of her. "Where are the others, anyway?"

"Ananya was down," she answers, looking at me pointedly, "I don't know why she would be, but Duo was going to take her shopping to cheer her up. That's when I met Lang," she looks off at him, again. I'm losing her, I know it. Come on, Sie, focus on me! "He's amazing! I mean, he's smart and he's good looking. What more could you want?" Someone who's not a slimy jerk? I don't know.

"Is that why you're doing his dirty work?"

"It's not like that. It was a bet, that's all, a friendly wager," she smirks, "And I don't lose wagers." Do you gamble often, or only when your pride is on the line? "Dont' give me that look."

"I'm not giving you any look."

"You are. You get it whenever you're annoyed. Ananya told me about it. You kind of furrow your brows like you're trying to concentrate the annoyance away."

I totally don't!

"Man, you are so predictable, really," she says with a laugh. "Come on. Relax. He's cool. Trust me. I'm an excellent judge of character."

I search for the right words to express my disbelief. There aren't any words that strong, unfortunately, so I just kind of stare.

I wonder if I _can_ concentrate my annoyances away. I should try it sometime.

Lang returns. It seems my experiment is a bust. "Okay, Ron's sent the good word out," Lang says, giving us a carefree smile. He has this attitude that just makes you want to reach out and throttle him. I don't know how else to explain it.

"Great!" Sie gives me a smug glance. Concentrate, Kuzon, keep concentrating. "See, I told you this would work out."

You told me no such thing.

"I see your friend's not much for words."

"Oh, I'm used to it. People think my brother's a mute," she says, blithely ignorant of my increasing irritation with this conversation. Maybe I should excuse myself. He seems to have gotten himself a drink somewhere, I don't really think any of those bottles are for anything but show, though.

"Anyway." I think my words are getting ignored again. Sie is more focused on Lang, and Lang seems focused on not acknowledging my existence. "I'm going to excuse myself. I need to find the others, anyway."

"Oh, right!" Sie suddenly becomes aware of me as I'm leaving. Really, I can feel the overwhelming affection she has for me. The gratitude for all I've done for her flows like a river. I'm not sure I can get anymore sarcastic than this.

"So, I'm going to do that," I lamely conclude, "Where were they going, anyway?"

"Oh, right, I wasn't supposed to tell you that."

Why weren't you supposed to tell me - you know what? I don't even care. If you're going to be coy about it, I'm not even going there.

"Hey, Kuzon," Lang says, suddenly, "I'll show you out, just a second." He gives Sie an apologetic glance and leads me off. It's very quiet all the way to the door. It isn't far, really, but he keeps a rather plodding pace. "I guess you're feeling a bit like a fifth wheel, huh?" he says as we reach the door.

"It's nothing."

"I'm probably coming off as a jerk, but, you know how it is with a pretty lady," he says, all knowingly or something. I think I preferred being ignored. "Look, you seem like a pretty smart guy. I think we'd see eye to eye on a lot of things."

I don't think that's at all possible.

"I was thinking you'd have a unique perspective on the current political climate. I'm a student of civics and politics, it's a passion of mine." Why would I have a unique - oh, right, he's making thinly veiled hints that he knows who I am. I'll have to thank Sie for that again later.

"Maybe." What else can I say?

"We'll have plenty of time on the rails," he says, "Me and a couple of the gang are going to Omashu. We've got a lot planned for this trip. Maybe you and Sie'd like to join up for a bit. She's got some strong views on the zaibatsu you Fire Nation types seem to love."

Wait, did I detect some trace sense of emotion besides smug self-assurance of superiority in his voice? He seems kind of angry with the zaibatsu.

Not that I can blame him after what happened in Yeung.

Doesn't make me any less suspicious of this guy, though. "Hey, don't worry about Sie. I'm not going to hurt her."

"I'm not worried about that." I'm such a terrible liar.

"Cool."

I can't believe he bought that.

"Guess I'll see you around, Kuzon. I'm sure we'll have lots to talk about - oh, hey, Kasumi." His attention is momentarily turned to a girl walking out from behind the partition. She yawns, rubbing her eyes from beneath a long mop of brown hair.

It takes me only a second to recognize her. The same girl stood underneath the Western Dragon earlier. "Hey boss," she says behind a yawn, "I'm off to my nap."

"Cool. Pleasant dreams."

She sleepily utters thanks before siddling over to a cushion and repurposes it into a pillow.

"Who's that?"

"Kasumi. She's a good friend of mine, real good," he says, "Always sleepy."

"She wouldn't happen to have any interest in boats, would she?" I ask, trying to keep my hand close to my chest. I don't know if he sees through my bluff or not, which makes matters only worse when he says.

"Not really sure she has an interest in anything."

"I see."

"Look, I've kept you. Sie's probably thinking I fell off the face of the earth and really, you don't keep a lady waiting."

"Right."

"See you, Kuzon, see you real soon." He pats me on the back as he opens the door, shoving me rather forcefully out. Message received, you jerk. I start down the alley, casting a glance over at Ron. He stands leaning against the wall, watching me as I go.

"Nice guy," I mutter, clearly sarcastically. He doesn't respond. I know he hears me, though, and he just nods at me as I walk down the alley, watching with a dangerous glint to his spectacles. I hurry out of there.

The way back to the ship is much easier. I recognize the street as I exit the alley, and follow it to the docks. It's a pretty quick trip. I just need to climb aboard and then deal with finding the others. This is getting annoying -

"Kuzon!"

That was amazingly simple. Maybe I _can_ concentrate annoyances away after all. Ananya is on me as soon as I board the ship, her eyes wide and panicked. "What? I'm okay."

"I know you're okay, but where's Sie!"

"She's with some guy," I say, rolling my eyes, "She wouldn't listen to me so I gave up."

"Did he have a really fashionable little cap?" Ananya asks, peering at me curiously, "Kind of handsome?" Does he have this affect on all women?

"Yes. I guess. I wasn't really paying attention."

"Oh that jerk!" she shouts right in my ear. "Duo! She ran off with that jerk!"

I wouldn't call it running off, but, yeah, that about sums it up. I guess Ananya and Duo met that guy earlier too. I'm curious exactly what happened, but I don't really get a chance to ask Ananya, well, anything. By her nature, that is to say, by the very virtue of being Ananya, she begins talking.

"That guy was causing a big ruckus at the rail station. Complaining about unfair working conditions for the people who built the tracks, and just being kind of a pain, really. I mean, if it's true, it sounds awful, but I don't know," she looks a bit conflicted there.

"It's all right to protest. Grandfather made it clear that orderly dissent was an important part of governing," I answer. It was a big deal early in his reign, going against my great-grandfather's cult of personality. "Sometimes things need to be addressed."

"I don't know about any of that, but he was really rude to the poor lady working there," she continues, looking a bit pensive, "Anyway, he's going on about how the zaibatsu treated its workers, and after he's asked to leave, _finally_, Sie goes up and starts talking to him."

"And you were doing what during all this?"

"Um, Duo and I were shopping. There were lots of neat things near the station!"

"I see," I answer. "So I guess you don't know what they talked about."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't think she'd just go off with him all of a sudden. Hey, how'd you meet this guy?" I sigh, and begin to explain everything that happened earlier. She listens, which is a miracle in and of itself, and finally nods.

"I don't know why he needed her to steal that paper," I conclude, "But he's definitely suspicious."

"I agree." And then there's Duo appearing right beside me. Or was he here the whole time? I don't think guys that big should be able to move as quietly as the twins. It's creepy enough when it's two tiny girls. I don't think mountains should be able to ambush you.

"Come on, Duo, we worked on that. You need to be more spontaneous!" Ananya's urgings are incorrect, Duo. I don't need anymore stress from you appearing out of nowhere.

"Sorry."

"That's better!"

He takes a minute to pick out his words, bowing his head, "I anticipated that you'd say that."

"Duo!"

I'm lost. But I won't let that deter me. "So, what's your thoughts on that guy, Duo?"

He's a pretty good judge of character, by and large, and while it takes a while for him to put the words together, he slowly says, "I think he is trouble."

Well, we're all in agreement, except for Sie, who thinks he's perfect. "Well, great," I say, "Somehow he got us train tickets. He said he'd have them first thing tomorrow. Something doesn't add up."

"Maybe he just likes attention?" Ananya suggests, the irony no doubt lost on her.

"I agree."

"Well, if you both agree, I guess that's the end of that," I answer, looking down at the docks again. I wonder if that Kasumi girl will be back when she's woken up. She's a bit strange. It's hard to get a read on someone who hides their eyes all the time. "Something just is bugging me about this."

"It can't be too bad. He can't be that much older than us, right?"

"Yeah, he's a student in Ba Sing Se. He's pretty smart, but a bit," I hesitate, "Passionate.":

"About what?"

"I think he finds the government of the Earth Kingdom a bit slow," I shrug, not sure how to put it into words that make sense to someone whose understanding of bureaucracy was that it involved signing a lot of papers.

"Oh, Grandpa said the Earth Kingdom could take forever to get stuff done. Everything's got to be in triplicate so nobody is left out of the loop. It's very organized, though!"

And she goes and just blows me away again.

"Government is complicated," Duo states, "Does he believe he can simplify it?"

"I only know what I heard," I say, since, in truth, I don't really know what he thinks. It's really hard to put into words, looking back, on what it is about Lang that I don't like. I think it's that smarmy attitude. He comes across arrogant, well, that's not true, he comes across as superior and that nagging suspicion that he's not wrong.

I can't figure out what he's doing. He's practically screaming that he's up to something, but I can't figure it out!

I think, though, maybe a better look at the railyard would be best. That's when it hits me. "Hey, Ananya, can you get a better view of the rails somewhere here?" She blinks in surprise, but nods in response. I can feel my face splitting into an unbidden smirk. "See what you can find. Best if you can get a clear look at it from the pier."

"Sure!" she seems overly eager to help.

Leaping off into the city, she practically flies with each bound. Airbending is amazing to watch, and unfortunately, very rare in this day and age. I feel a hand on my shoulder, and see Duo looking at me very seriously.

"She is sorry."

He says it in a low voice, and I get the sense he thinks Ananya may hear him. "What do you mean?"

"She made you angry," he says, "She wishes to make up for it. She doesn't mean you any harm. I think it is because you are her first true friend."

"We barely know each other," I protest.

Duo smiles at me. Wait did he know I was going to - he did, didn't he! Arguing against him is generally a bad idea, I guess, he just seems unfazed by my protestations as if he has a convenient response just _waiting_. "She needs a friend like you. Don't push her away because of a misunderstanding."

I'm not pushing her away, I'm just angry with her and she gives me these headaches and you're not helping, Duo Lei Fang!

"I'm back!"

Ananya lands on the deck so softly I barely notice. She eagerly gives her report. She acts as professional as the girl can, considering her personality. "Prince Kuzon, I have found that the enemy has been scouting out the loading dock - or whatever it is for these new-fangled rail things. I don't know why, but that seems to be the only thing you can really see out there."

Stealing a shipping manifest, scouting the loading area, and giving a fake manifest to the authorities to return to the railyard?

What is he trying to ship that would require that much effort to hide?

The feeling in the pit of my stomach worsens. Things couldn 't be more ominous.

* * *

"It's beautiful!"

Ananya's gasp rouse me from my reading - having returned to the ship I can peruse some of the texts that my tutors expect me to somehow digest - and I look over in her direction. The deck of the ship is a pleasant cool as evening falls.

She's staring out at the rail engine in the distance. I can see firebenders lighting the oil lanterns hung around the carriages, illuminating them like fireflies. Around her, the city seems to radiate this pleasant glow, the lanterns hung across the streets turning the silver city red and orange in the night.

We continue out vigil for Sie. I don't like to admit I'm growing worried about her, so I keep quiet. That guy didn't seem that untrustworthy, and I didn't feel that unnerved by his friends. She probably just decided to get cozy with the guy.

Duo is pacing. He's come to the same conclusion apparently.

"Kuzon, is this what the Fire Nation looks like?"

"You've never been?" I ask. Teasing her is so much easier than worrying. I focus on that instead, the tome mocking me with its secretive code.

"Well, no! Grandpa never goes there. He says there's some bad blood there."

I almost ask her what she means, but it's clear from her expression that she's only repeating what she's heard. "Well, this is not exactly like the Fire Nation, but it's close. The capital, at night, is alight like bonfire."

"How do people get to sleep if it's so bright?" she wonders, earnestly.

"We have these things, we call them curtains," I say, patronizingly explaining the simplest of objects to her like she were a child. Not that she'd know anything about privacy.

"I know what curtains are! But if it's so bright -"

"We don't literally have a bonfire going off in the middle of the city," I sigh, "The palace is lit at all time. It's a symbol, a symbol of the Fire Nation's strength and ambition."

"But isn't ambition what started the war?"

"Ambition is what created the rail engine there, as well, or this ship," I explain, "Ambition alone can be dangerous, yes, but with proper discipline, it can be a great strength."

"Just like fire," she murmurs, thoughtfully, before turning back to the city. "I hope she gets back soon. It's starting to get late and I'm hungry."

"Why don't you just go to the galley? I'm sure the cook would be happy to make you something," I mutter.

"But I want to have some of Duo's cooking!"

Ow. That poor cook, outdone by a teenager.

"I see her."

"You don't sound so excited, Duo." I have a feeling I know why, even as the words escape my lips. I turn and see Sie with Lang. He's discarded his jacket and is instead wearing a white, silk shirt common to the Earth Kingdom. I don't know why he's so intent on showing off his arms, though.

"Hey! This is a nice ship, after all." He looks at me with that same sort of blithe smile that just screams, 'Hey, I'm up to something!' and waves at us. "Hello, the ship! I'm bringing aboard one of your crew!"

"Sie! What took you!"

Ananya yells loudly enough that even Sie cringes at the volume, "We were just talking and it got late. Sorry!"

"Get aboard," Duo says, and even I can tell he's angry.

"Don't get angry at her, big guy," Lang says, smiling, "Permission to come aboard, Captain?"

"I'm not the captain," I say, even though I don't know why I'm correcting this guy. "But yeah, sure. For a few minutes."

"Right. It is a bit late and I've got a lot to do for tomorrow. It's a big day," he practically skips up to the deck and Sie follows behind him. He looks at Duo first, and bows deeply, "My apologies for keeping your sister out all night."

Duo is obviously not sure how to react and I can see the gears already starting to turn. He may be slow, but he's incredibly sharp when he has time to think. I just don't think Lang's the type to let him. "I heard a lot about you. I hear you've taken an interest in poetry? Kasumi's an expert on that. I hear all the details. Do you favor the post-Bumi Omashu era, or the Classical Ba Sing Se form?"

And I think he's completely disarmed Duo. He's good.

"And this must be Ananya? Air Nomad name, means 'Unique' doesn't it?" he asks, "Your parents must have been inspired."

Ananya fidgets, "What do you mean?"

"Sie was telling me all about you. You sound like quite the character."

"Really, you're making it sound like you're making fun of her, Lang!" Sie speaks up, "I'm not going around talking about you behind your back, Ananya!"

"And Kuzon I've already met," he says, "I was wondering if your infamous aunt would be around, but I guess it is a little bit brisk an evening."

Then why are you walking around with your biceps showing! What, is your birthmark that important that you've got to show everyone?

"Auntie is busy," I say, "She's got to catalogue her teas for the trip."

"I was hoping to say hello. I've heard a lot about her, and not just from Sie. I've been to her tea hosue a couple of times. The best tea in the city. Even though a few of the more experimental blends are an acquired taste."

That backhanded compliment doesn't earn you any points, Lang, though I will have to save that one for future use.

"Actually, Little Wing stopped by earlier with the tickets. So, I thought I'd deliver it in person, and besides, a city like this is no place for a girl to be wandering alone after dark." He smiles at Sie, "I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, but I think I've overstayed my welcome. His lordship seems to be boiling over."

You have no idea.

"All right, Lang, I'll see you tomorrow then." She waves pathetically, and he starts down to the pier. She just keeps waving, even after he's gone from her sight. Once she's finally exhausted her arm she stretches out and announces, "By the spirits, he is so hot!"

"I guess," Ananya offers. "I'm a character? Kuzon, am I a character?" You're a laugh-riot, Ananya. "Why aren't you answering me? What's with that look?"

"So we have tickets for the rail engine? I have a bad feeling about this," Duo says, "Is he going to be aboard the train?"

She nods, "We're in the car next to his!"

"I have my doubts," Duo says, and that seems to be all there is to say about that.

I have my doubts as well, but I think it's getting late enough. "Well, I don't think there's a faster way to Omashu, and we've got a lot to take care of there anyway," I say, "I don't see the harm in taking his charity. Maybe we are being a bit harsh on him."

"What do you mean a bit harsh?"

Oh, right, Sie, you decided to skip the meeting, that's right. "Never mind."

"Don't give me a never mind. What are you guys talking about? Oh, I get it," she says, "You're jealous. A girl shows interest in a guy that's not you and your ego takes a bruising." What? What is this?

I don't even - what?

"I don't know, Sie, I'm getting a bad feeling about this, too," Ananya says, "Maybe you should be careful. There's just something about him that I don't like."

"You're just being jealous."

What the - Sie, are you in control of your faculties? What are you talking about?

"I'm not! I'm really serious," poor Ananya's red as a sunfire petal as she protests this, "I mean, yeah, he's hot, but I don't think he's being honest with you, Sie!"

"Did you guys all sit down and have a hate-on-Lang party while I was out?" she points at us accusingly in turn, "What do you know about him anyway?"

Nothing concrete but I can't discount this feeling I have, Sie. But, how do I even say that so she'll listen right now?

"Forget it, I don't even want to hear what you guys talked about while I was out. He's doing us a favor!"

"Sie!"

She storms down below deck. She's just going to get lost. Someone should probably follow her. Ananya? No response, I see. How about Duo? About as dumbfounded as the rest of us. That leaves only - oh, great, that's me.

"I'll stop her," I say, leaving the other two to figure it out at their own pace. I hurry belowdeck, and find she's not gotten far, much to my relief. The captain and my aunt have stopped her, and she hurriedly says, "I just need to know where I'm staying and where my stuff is."

"Well, let's see," the captain says, "Prince Kuzon, do you recall where Miss Lei Fang's belongings were placed?"

"I think we put them in Ananya's room for now," I answer, looking at Sie, "I think Sie and I need a moment to speak alone."

"Of course, nephew. But if I may suggest you do some listening before you do any speaking," she says, bowing her head, "I hear we will be taking the rail engine to Omashu tomorrow. I'm looking forward to a pleasant and relaxing trip."

I hope so. "Okay, Sie, Ananya's room is down this way," I begin, starting down the hall.

"He's not a bad guy. He's passionate about the people, Kuzon, and you're acting like he's some sort of crook. Isn't that what a prince is supposed to do?"

Ow, right out the gate with the below-the-belt hit. She's good at this.

I turn my head to glance sidelong at her, "My duties as a prince of the Fire Nation are to make sure the will of all the people is heard, and acted upon, as an extension of my grandfather. I know how we govern, it isn't perfect, but we can't just wave our hands passionately, shouting things about how the Fire Lord is keeping the common man down."

"Maybe you should talk to him. I think you'd get along."

I doubt that.

"Really, Kuzon. I think he's really got the people's interests at heart." Which people, Sie? "He just can be a little, er, a little extreme sometimes."

My ears prick up at that.

"What do you mean, extreme?"

"Nothing, never mind!" How can you just say something like that and ignore it? Do I just happen to travel with people who lack common sense? "I don't see why you guys think he's so bad, that's all!"

"I know you have this whole pirate obsession, Sie, but did you ever think about why you nabbed that piece of paper?"

"It was just a piece of paper. I don't know why everyone was so upset about it."

And yet the stealing it thing doesn't bug you?

I'm starting to doubt myself. Just great. "What? Aren't you going to illuminate me on your brilliant deduction?" Oh, yes, let's do that.

I have no idea.

"Maybe he gave them a fake with a different list on it," I sigh, "Something he wants to get on the rails tomorrow."

"That's ridiculous," she says, "That's an awful lot of work when he could just send it the normal way." She looked at me, focusing her glare directly on my forehead, "Are you implying he's up to something?"

Implying? No. Shouting out to the heavens? Yes.

"Show me proof."

Unfortunately, even I know most of my proof is circumstantial. A good Fire Lord would never allow that to sway his judgment, right? She just keeps looking at me expectantly, as if I somehow have some kind of super-evidence just hidden in my sleeve.

"That's what I thought."

It takes her way too long to pronounce those words, at least, that's how it seems to me. She relishes every syllable.

But I still know I'm right.

"This is it."

The door to Ananya's quarters are ajar a little, and Sie pushes it open and looks inside. The gentle rocking of the boat in harbor makes things seem so calm and smooth. I'm actually glad my innards aren't protesting this time.

"Does it have to rock so much?" Sie mutters as she walks into her room.

"Sie. We're just worried for you," I try and say.

"Thanks, Princey, but I can take care of myself."

I think I find myself unable to think of a response more than I have one ready, actually, the way I just stare blankly forward desperately searching for an answer. She shuts the door before I can even think of anything.

Which makes me feel wonderful, obviously.

And I bump into someone almost immediately, ruining what I was beginning to feel was an especially good brooding session. "Oh, hey," Ananya says, when she realizes that she walked right into me. Guess she was distracted, too.

"Ananya."

"Kuzon."

From one awkward conversation to another. I seem to keep crashing into them. So, how do I quickly escape from this one? She's kind of standing in my way. "Sie's staying in your room for now."

Hold it.

I am going to just marvel at that statement for a second. I can be pretty critical on others, but to think it's me, Prince Kuzon, of whom a much vaunted education was launched upon with the force of a catapault, who would utter a statement so incredibly stupid. Make no mistakes, this may be the stupidest thing I've heard all day.

Of course she knows Sie's staying in her room. It was her idea, you idiot!

"Oh, thanks."

She's not moving, either. I pretty much killed any chance of me getting out of this quickly, didn't I?

"Kuzon, about -"

"- Look, I've got a lot to do for tomorrow -"

"- I know I shouldn't have done that but I just -"

"- So I really should get to my quarters and -"

"- I just wanted to say I'm sorry and hope you'll forgive me?"

"- So I'll just get going."

Another awkward pause descends. I don't know what she said. I don't think she knows what I just said. We're just staring at each other trying to figure out what possessed us to talk at precisely the same time.

Not that I need much soul-searching to figure that out. I don't want to hear her apology. I want to be mad at her. It's infuriating, she's nothing but trouble and I can't even stay mad at her for twenty-four hours.

It's like a little lost baby turtle-duck who can't find its mother. They look so, I don't know, pathetic.

Ananya's the first to break the silence. "I'm sorry, you go first."

"I should go," I say, as curtly as possible.

"Right. Tomorrow's a long day."

She seems to shift strangely, like she's moving her hands behind her back. "Yeah. You must be excited."

"I would be if you weren't being so scary."

I'm hearing things aren't I?

"Sorry?"

"Nothing!"

That's what I thought.

"I should go make sure Sie's getting settled, shouldn't I?" She laughs in an absent-minded fashion, "See you tomorrow, Kuzon!"

"Tomorrow."

Using her trained Airbender lungs, she shouts out, "Right I'll just be going bye!"

And like that the path to my room is clear and I can proceed with ease. Yes, there is absolutely nothing that's going to stop me now, not no one, not no how - "Nephew." - and then the cold hand of dread grabs me by the scruff of my neck and hoists me down.

"Auntie Azula?"

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Ananya," she says, quite patiently. I think she probably heard more of it than either of us, actually. It really wasn't much of a conversation, more of a set of dueling monologues.

"Yes?"

"And what do you think I'm about to say?"

"I don't think I could even begin."

She looks me over, and sighs, "Perhaps a good night's rest will put things into perspective. Get yourself to bed." I was about to before you interrupted me, Aunt Azula! "I will talk to you more on the rail engine."

Oh.

I'm going to be trapped in a moving box with Ananya, my aunt, Sie, and Duo.

Of the three of those people who actually have conversations, none of them are happy with me. I look at Aunt Azula, doing my best to keep myself level. "I look forward to that."

"I'm certain you do," she says dryly, letting a thin smile play on her lips before she puts a hand firmly on my shoulder and pushes forward, hobbling - another part of her dopey old lady act - towards her quarters.

I head to my room. My only hope for tomorrow is that overnight, Duo discovers he loves having conversations.

The giant Earthbender moves quietly to his quarters, next to mine. He nods briefly to me as he enters. I think I have a better chance of someone opening a summer resort on the South Pole of that happening.

I'm doomed. Doomed!

_To be continued._


End file.
